Will Medicare and Medicaid be affected by the government shutdown?

Your Medicare, Medicaid or Affordable Care Act coverage won’t vanish during the government shutdown , but changes to some benefits and fewer government workers to help could still disrupt care for millions.

At the heart of the shutdown fight is whether Republican leaders accept a demand from Democrats to extend Obamacare subsidies before they expire at the end of the year and premiums start skyrocketing. Democrats also sought to undo President Donald Trump’s Medicaid cuts, but the GOP has shown no interest.

Fortunately for everyday people, core programs like Medicare and Medicaid will keep running because their funding is built into law. But a popular Medicare benefit — telehealth — has already ended for many, and so-called discretionary programs, such as Community Health Centers