Medicare coverage will not be affected by the possible government shutdown that would begin at midnight tonight. Medicare is an essential service that does not need a congressional vote to function.
There may be fewer staff working to maintain Medicare, but that would, at most, result in some slowdown of payments to caregivers but would not impact seniors.
According to Bryce Williams, CEO of Extend Health, the largest private Medicare exchange in the country, "Seniors don't need to be concerned about the loss of their benefits in the case of a government shutdown. Hopefully, a compromise will be made before midnight so we don't have to re-live 1995."
Williams continued, "We want to let our Extend Health retirees know that a government shutdown will not affect our services at all - we will still operate in full capacity as normal."
Extend Health has helped more than 300,000 seniors compare and choose the private Medicare plans that best meets their needs and budgets. Extend Health is the only place seniors can compare more than 3,500 plans from 70 carriers side by side and find a plan that best meets their needs. Licensed benefit advisors are available to help seniors evaluate their Medicare coverage and explore new options quickly and easily.
Without Medicare Part B’s shield, patient’s family owes $81,000 for a single air-ambulance flight