CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) – As the federal government shutdown continues, questions are rising over how it might affect healthcare coverage, especially Medicare and the Affordable Care Act.
For now, Medicare’s core benefits are still running.
Payments to hospitals, doctors, and pharmacies are continuing because Medicare funding is considered mandatory spending and doesn’t rely on the annual budget process that’s currently on hold.
However, the real concern is for people who receive free or discounted coverage through the Affordable Care Act or low-income Medicare assistance programs.
The expanded tax credits that have helped lower premiums for many Americans are set to expire at the end of the year. If that happens, some enrollees could see their monthly premiums more than double.
The shutdown is also slowing down certain Medicare programs that depend on yearly funding, such as expanded telehealth access and home-hospital care models that began during the pandemic.
Without new funding, those services may pause or scale back.
So while most Medicare users won’t notice major changes right now, people depending on free or subsidized coverage could face higher costs and fewer options if the shutdown continues.
