The federal government shut down on Wednesday, after lawmakers were unable to come to an agreement on a funding bill. To help you understand what the shutdown means for older adults, their families, and assisted living communities, Argentum published this article along with the below information.
Only federal services are impacted. The current federal government shutdown impacts federal government services only, not state, county or local services. Each federal agency has prepared its own contingency plan outlining which staff are considered essential and which are non-essential. These plans also specify which operations will continue.
It is unclear how long the shutdown will last. Any funding bill requires 60 votes to advance. However, Republicans hold only 53 seats in the Senate, meaning they have to secure at least seven Democratic votes while keeping every Republican on board. The Senate will meet again on Friday but it is unlikely to end the impending shutdown.
(Read more for a list of frequently asked questions).
Even though the Federal Government is closed, key essential services will continue:
- Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security will continue operating during a shutdown;
- The U.S. Mail will continue; and
- HHS staff for Medicare and Medicaid support will continue.
Argentum received a notice from the Social Security Administration to request that we share the following information: Local offices will remain open to the public but will provide reduced services. During this time, residents 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
Here are answers to some of the questions residents may ask:
Will I continue to receive my Social Security and SSI checks?
Recipients will continue to receive their Social Security benefits. The Social Security Administration (SSA) will provide limited services like issuing Social Security cards and holding appointments for benefit applications. However, SSA will stop services like benefit verifications and processing overpayments. Customer service wait times may increase.
Will Medicare and Medicaid benefits be affected?
Current Medicare, Medicaid, and disability insurance beneficiaries will continue to receive their benefits.
How is telehealth coverage affected?
Medicare hospital-at-home and telehealth flexibilities have expired. The additional flexibilities put in place during the pandemic for geography, site of service, and practitioner type had been extended only through September 30. As a result, providers will no longer be reimbursed for telehealth visits delivered to Medicare beneficiaries in their homes and all patients in the Medicare hospital at home programs were to be discharged by yesterday. Medicare beneficiaries must now be in a rural area and a medical facility to receive non-behavioral health services via Medicare telehealth. Some providers and systems are continuing to provide telehealth services without reimbursement, while others are reducing or altogether discontinuing services during the shutdown.
What happens to veterans' services?
All Veterans Affairs (VA) medical facilities and clinics will remain operational. The VA will continue to process veterans’ benefits. However, veterans will be affected by the shutdown of other services that they count on, including education and job training, support for veteran-owned businesses, and even assistance for homeless veterans.
Will military and federal retiree benefits be suspended?
Military and federal retirees will continue to receive their retirement benefits. Processing new applications or other requested changes may be delayed.
What other government services and programs remain uninterrupted during a shutdown?
During a government shutdown, essential services related to national security and public safety like inpatient and emergency medical care, air traffic control, law enforcement, border security, disaster aid, and power grid maintenance, continue, though they may face disruptions.
What is the impact on housing?
The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) will stop insuring some new mortgages and the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) will stop processing some new loans. The Department of Agriculture (USDA) will stop new loan and loan guarantee activity. The VA will continue to guarantee home loans. Funding for federal housing assistance programs, such as Housing Choice Vouchers, may be jeopardized in a prolonged shutdown.
Will vaccines still be available?
Yes, you will be able to obtain vaccines through any private pharmacy. There remains uncertainty around COVID-19 vaccine recommendations and requirements at this time, so plan to monitor the details for the next 30 days.
- Regarding whether the COVID-19 vaccines are still recommended, the answer is “yes.” Per the press release issued by the Department of Health and Human Services (9/19/2025), “The CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) today unanimously recommended that vaccination for COVID-19 be determined by individual decision-making.”
- More specifically, it recommends the 2025-26 COVID-19 vaccine be offered for seniors ages 65+ (with shared clinical decision-making) and for those ages 6mo - 64yo with shared clinical decision-making that emphasizes that the risk-benefit ratio for COVID-19 vaccination most favors those who are at an increased risk for severe COVID-19, according to the CDC list of COVID-19 risk factors.
- 44 states allow pharmacies/pharmacists to administer FDA-approved vaccines without a prescription, with Florida agreeing to this provision within the past 10 days. Arizona, Georgia, Louisiana, Oregon, Utah, and West Virginia, along with Washington, DC, are among the jurisdictions quoted as not allowing pharmacists to vaccinate without a prescription.
What is the process to end a government shutdown, and can the President unilaterally end it?
To end a government shutdown, Congress needs to pass, and the President must sign, appropriations bills to fund the departments and agencies that have been shut down. The President does not have the power to end a shutdown unilaterally. The funding bills follow the same legislative process as any other bill, requiring approval from both the House and Senate before the President can sign them into law; 60 votes are needed in the Senate to advance legislation.
The House passed a CR to fund the government through November 21, while Congressional Democrats are seeking a CR through October 31 in addition to permanently extending enhanced premium tax credits for ACA marketplace insurance plans, rolling back the Medicaid reductions from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, and restricting the White House from imposing future rescissions to Congressionally-authorized spending.
The White House Budget Office has indicated it may advise federal agencies to pursue a “reduction in force” to terminate significant portions of the federal workforce, rather than a temporary furlough during the shutdown. Any federal employee who is not funded through mandatory spending or whose programs, projects, or activities are not consistent with the President’s priorities may be terminated. According to OMB, layoffs wouldn’t apply to Social Security, Medicare, veterans benefits, or other essential agencies.
