The federal government shutdown will stretch into a second week after Senate Democrats and Republicans failed to agree on competing funding bills Oct. 3, according to The Hill.  The standoff is already disrupting federal operations — including at CMS — and could carry significant knock-on effects for providers and patients if prolonged.

Four things to know: 1. Senate deadlock deepens. On Oct. 3, senators rejected both a Republican-led stopgap measure and a Democratic proposal that tied government funding to healthcare priorities such as extending ACA premium tax subsidies. Lawmakers are out of session for the weekend and are set to return Oct. 6, when Senate leaders are expected to force a fifth vote on a House-passed measure to fund the government through Nov. 21, according to Politico.

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