The Government Shutdown is Over
After 43 days, Congress has agreed to fund the government. This means that programs like SNAP benefits and Veterans Affairs get funded. SNAP benefits help low-income people and disabled people afford food.
Veterans Affairs help people who have served in our military. These are funded through September 2026. All other programs are funded through the end of January 2026. Congress has until January 30, 2026 to fund all other agencies and programs.
The agreement also re-hires people who got fired during the shutdown. It bans federal firing until January 2026, as well as backpay. Backpay is money federal workers would have received if the government had not been shut down. The government has said it would pay the employees fast.
What Does this Mean for People with Disabilities?
Funding will begin again to programs like SNAP. As well as to programs that help low income people pay for energy at home. This program is called “LIHEAP”, and it stands for “Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program”. This could be helpful for people with disabilities who may need to heat their homes in winter.
In November of 2025, 1/4 of states did not pay SNAP benefits. This agreement solves this problem by funding SNAP until September 2026.
It could take a month or longer if you need assistance from LIHEAP. As a result, some states may not be able to distribute benefits until December or even January. Contact your utility service provider if you experience interruptions. They may be able to help. Check to see if your state has a law that says providers can’t disconnect utilities during winter.
If your state does have a law like that, it’s important that you beware of scams. If you get a call that demands you pay immediately, hang up and call the number on your bill to verify the call is real.
Every state has a department of human services. Their job is to provide support and resources to people who live in that state. Check yours for updates about when or if you can expect to receive energy assistance benefits.
Medicare Extensions Included in Bill
The bill passed by Congress to fund the government and end the shutdown also extends the following in relation to Medicare:
- This bill allowed healthcare providers to offer telehealth until January 30, 2026. Telehealth is when your appointment takes place remotely. This first started suring COVID, and was extended in 2023.
- Delay of Medicare Payment Cuts: This bill delays the reduction in Medicare reimbursement rates until January 30, 2026. Congress must pass a full-year funding bill to delay this cut more.
- Waiver of Mandatory PAYGO Budget Cuts: This agreement waives the 4% funding cuts to Medicare and other programs mandated by the “Pay-As-You-Go” rules. If Congress spends beyond a certain amount, they must pay for it with “new” revenue or cut funding by 4% from Medicare and other programs unless Congress waives the rule.
If Congress had not waived the mandatory PAYGO budget cuts, this would have resulted in reduced payments to healthcare providers, Medicare Advantage plans, Medicare prescription drug benefits, and more.
The Fight is Not Over
The government may have reopened, but the agreement that was reached did not extend the Affordable Care Act (ACA) premium tax credits. These are scheduled to end on December 31. Without these, roughly 24 million Americans could face increases in their healthcare costs. These could potentially be increased by over 100%.
These enhanced ACA premium subsidies allow millions of people with disabilities to afford and maintain health insurance from the ACA marketplace.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) has promised to hold a vote on extending the ACA subsidies by mid-December. He did this as part of the deal to reopen the government, but there is no guarantee this will happen.
The shorter-term funding timeline (through January 30) means our work is far from over. Congress will soon return to negotiations for funding for the full year and health insurance subsidies before January 30, 2026. We need to keep applying pressure.