As Congressional Democrats and Republicans continue to trade blows in a standoff over government funding, the resulting government shutdown that began at 12:01 a.m. on Oct. 1 has already started impacting average Americans .

While some public benefits like Social Security payments and general Medicare and Medicaid coverage continue to be paid during a shutdown, seniors who rely on Medicare could still face major changes and new barriers to receiving medical care.

Two COVID-era programs that expanded access to healthcare expired on Sept. 30, despite having largely bipartisan support: One provided greater flexibility around telehealth and another allowed hospitals to continue high-level care at home. Both lost funding when lawmakers failed to pass a budget plan addressing either, res

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