HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - The ongoing federal government shutdown is creating significant challenges for local doctors and thousands of residents on traditional Medicare as money for telehealth video visits has lapsed in Congress.

That is forcing health care providers to either absorb the costs or reschedule appointments for patients who already face difficulties accessing medical care.

This lapse in funding only impacts individuals covered by traditional Medicare, which covers about 150,000 seniors in Hawaii.

Related post: Thousands of kupuna impacted by expiration of Medicare telehealth benefits

Hardest Hit: Areas with physician shortages

The impact is especially severe in regions where doctors are already spread thin, such as Molokai.

“So we’re quite aware of the ups and downs,

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