What a Government Shutdown Means for Your Health Care

Key Takeaways

The longest U.S. government shutdown was in 2018–2019 and lasted 35 days, though Congress had already approved the budget of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), which runs agencies like the CDC and FDA.

“Health departments may choose not to hire new and needed employees, at least for now, because their budgets have not been set and they don’t know if they will have the funding going forward,” Adriane Casalotti, chief of government and public affairs for the National Association of County and City Health Officials, which represents local health departments, told Verywell.

Here’s what a shutdown could mean for services like health care, health insurance, and vaccines.

What Does a Shutdown Means for Healthcare Services?

That’s because a large part of the funding for community health centers, which offer things like free and reduced-fee checkups, comes from the federal government. Funds are allocated based on several factors, including how many people a center serves.

Kogan said some centers might have enough money on hand to keep the clinics open for a while while other clinics might have to pause some services.

Veterans Health Administration hospitals will remain open and fully staffed.

What About Vaccines?

Money for COVID vaccines under Bridge Access has already been allocated, so the vaccines themselves will be available during a shutdown,Georges Benjamin, MD, executive director of the American Public Health Association, told Verywell. But some community health centers might not have the funding to keep enough people trained to administer the shots on staff during a shutdown.

The shutdown won’t affect any free vaccines from the Bridge Access program available at doctors’ offices and pharmacies because they don’t rely on federal funding for staffing.

Casalotti thinks a shutdown could have an impact on people getting vaccines of all kinds, including flu and RSV shots.

Where to Find Free COVID Vaccines Right Now—No Matter Your Insurance Status

What Does a Shutdown Mean for Medicare and Medicaid?

According to the Bipartisan Policy Center, Medicare and Social Security have permanent funding, so recipients will still get their checks during a shutdown.But it’s quite possible that there won’t be staff during the shutdown to replace Medicare or Social Security cards that get lost, Benjamin said.

AARPhas reportedthat people will be able to enroll in Medicare during a shutdown, that the Medicare hotline (800-633-4227) will continue to operate, and that the organization expects Medicare’s annual open enrollment to begin on October 15 as scheduled, even if there is a shutdown.

What Does a Shutdown Mean for Various Health Inspections?

At the same time, the FDA will stop routine inspections of low-risk foods, such as packaged cookies and crackers.

There’s no telling how long a shutdown will last. According to the Bipartisan Policy Center, there have been 14 shutdowns since 1980, and 11 of those lasted less than a week. The other three were longer than two weeks, and the most recent shutdown, in 2018–2019, lasted over a month.

What This Means For YouMost government employees and people who work for federal contractors are not paid during a shutdown, though federal employees are guaranteed back pay once the shutdown ends. Essential personnel, such as some FDA and CDC employees, are required to work even though they are not being paid if their work is considered essential.Some local services, such as community health centers, may not be able to provide services like checkups during a shutdown. Check your local news sites to see which federally funded services are available in your area if a shutdown occurs.

What This Means For You

Most government employees and people who work for federal contractors are not paid during a shutdown, though federal employees are guaranteed back pay once the shutdown ends. Essential personnel, such as some FDA and CDC employees, are required to work even though they are not being paid if their work is considered essential.Some local services, such as community health centers, may not be able to provide services like checkups during a shutdown. Check your local news sites to see which federally funded services are available in your area if a shutdown occurs.

Most government employees and people who work for federal contractors are not paid during a shutdown, though federal employees are guaranteed back pay once the shutdown ends. Essential personnel, such as some FDA and CDC employees, are required to work even though they are not being paid if their work is considered essential.

Some local services, such as community health centers, may not be able to provide services like checkups during a shutdown. Check your local news sites to see which federally funded services are available in your area if a shutdown occurs.

3 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Commonwealth Fund.Community health centers need increased and sustained federal funding.Georgetown University Health Policy Institute Center for Children & Families.Looming government shutdown could undermine federal oversight of medicaid unwinding.Bipartisan Policy Center.What happens if the government shuts down in 2023?

3 Sources

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Commonwealth Fund.Community health centers need increased and sustained federal funding.Georgetown University Health Policy Institute Center for Children & Families.Looming government shutdown could undermine federal oversight of medicaid unwinding.Bipartisan Policy Center.What happens if the government shuts down in 2023?

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Commonwealth Fund.Community health centers need increased and sustained federal funding.Georgetown University Health Policy Institute Center for Children & Families.Looming government shutdown could undermine federal oversight of medicaid unwinding.Bipartisan Policy Center.What happens if the government shuts down in 2023?

Commonwealth Fund.Community health centers need increased and sustained federal funding.

Georgetown University Health Policy Institute Center for Children & Families.Looming government shutdown could undermine federal oversight of medicaid unwinding.

Bipartisan Policy Center.What happens if the government shuts down in 2023?

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