The Federal Government Shutdown is Bad for Patients

On October 1st, the federal government shut down because the White House and Congress could not come to an agreement on funding bills that would keep the government open. While these negotiations were complicated, one thing is simple: a government shutdown hurts patients. People will have a more difficult time getting access to the care they need, and important medical research that could help us prevent, manage and treat diseases like cardiac arrest and stroke will be put on hold.

In addition to large portions of the federal government closing, several programs that millions of people rely on to help them get access to important medical care will also come to an end because there was no agreement. For example, people on Medicare had previously been able to meet with their doctors and other medical providers remotely, a service known as telehealth, but those flexibilities expired at the end of the day on September 30.

Congress and the Administration must come to an agreement and reopen the government, help more people get access to the health care they need, and resume funding the important medical research that will lead to new treatments and save lives.

The American Heart Association is continuing to monitor the federal government shutdown and its ongoing impact on patients. Be on the lookout for opportunities to send a message to your Members of Congress.