As of midnight October 1, 2025, the federal government is shutdown due to a spending impasse in Congress over extending Affordable Care Act subsidies and restoring Medicaid cuts in H.R.1, the reconciliation bill passed in July. It is unclear how long the shutdown will last. As noted by KFF Health News (10/1/25), the shutdown “halt[s] almost all of the federal government’s nonessential functions, including many operations related to public health,” but “[e]ntitlement programs such as Medicaid and Medicare will continue.”
According to communications from the Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) sent to various stakeholders (10/1/25), 1-800-MEDICARE will continue to operate as usual. State Health Insurance Assistance Programs (SHIPs) should be able to continue their regular program activities but designated HHS staff will not be able to assist with SHIP-related activities, questions or provide technical assistance. CMS was able to update the Medicare Plan Finder with 2026 plan information prior to the shutdown. (As of today, though, the www.medicare.gov website includes the following disclaimer: “Due to the government shutdown, updates to information on this website may be limited or delayed. Your Medicare benefits and coverage will continue as before, and you can go to your doctor and access the health care services you need.”)
KFF Heath News notes that “[f]ewer federal staff will be available to provide help to Medicaid and Medicare enrollees.” According to STAT News (10/1/25), Medicare and Medicaid payments will continue, but the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) “will be unable to provide oversight of major contractors, like the Medicare Call Center, and certain rulemaking may be delayed.”
According to communications from the Social Security Administration (SSA) sent to various stakeholders (10/1/25),
payments to all people who currently receive Social Security benefits and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) will continue with no change in payment dates…. local offices will remain open to the public but will provide reduced services. During this time, your clients can still:
- Apply for benefits
- Request an appeal
- Change their address or direct deposit information
- Report a death
- Verify or change their citizenship status
- Replace a lost or missing Social Security payment
- Obtain a critical payment
- Change a representative payee
- Make a change in their living arrangement or income (SSI recipients only)
- Obtain a new or replacement Social Security card
The communication from SSA also states that “Hearings offices remain open to conduct hearings before an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ). Please be aware that we may not be able to assist with all in-person service requests at this time. For example, we cannot provide proof of benefits letters, or update or correct earnings records. These in-person services will resume when the federal government is operating normally.”
The Center for Medicare Advocacy will continue to provide updates on the shutdown’s impact on the Medicare program.
October 2, 2025 – D. Lipschutz