The federal government shut down as of 9 p.m. local time on Tuesday— but what does that mean for health benefits?
According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Medicare and Medicaid programs and services will also continue uninterrupted. However, staffing shortages could mean delays for some services, like the mailing of cards. The government has enough money to fund Medicaid for the first quarter of the next fiscal year, according to the Department of Health and Human Services.
As of now, there is no timeline for when this could be resolved. Congress has not passed emergency funding to avoid the shutdown.
Washington has about 80,000 federal employees. They could face furloughs or be forced to work without a paycheck until Congress restores funding.
For a look at what other agencies and services could be impacted, click here.
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