Advocacy in Action

Endocrine Society members Benson Akingbemi, DVM, PhD, the Society’s representative to the FASEB Science Policy Committee (SPC) (left); Lorenzo Smith, Early Career Representative on the FASEB SPC (center); and Zari McCullers, Howard Garrison Advocacy Fellow (right) attended the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB) annual Science Policy Symposium, which focused on Fostering Discovery and Innovation in Turbulent Times. These members contributed to important discussions on streamlining federal grant applications and awards, attracting and retaining the research workforce, and restructuring NIH.

Federal Government Shutdown Continues

On October 1, funding for the federal government expired because Congress failed to pass a continuing resolution (CR) to fund the federal government. As a result, there is currently a lapse in funding which will affect Endocrine Society researcher and clinician members. This week, bipartisan Senate negotiations around reopening the government reported began, but it is not clear how long the shutdown will last. Below is information which will be helpful to you during the shutdown (we update this information weekly):

Take Action to End the Government Shutdown:

We urge you to join our new online advocacy campaign to tell your Senators and Representative to pass a full-year funding bill that reopens the government and to support funding NIH at least at the Senate Appropriations Committee’s bill level of $47.8 billion for FY 26.

Government Shutdown: What Researchers Need to Know:

As a result of the current shutdown of the federal government, operations at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) have shifted to maintain essential services at its biomedical research hospital, the NIH Clinical Center. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released a contingency plan that details which NIH activities will not resume during the shutdown. These activities include:

• All NIH grant peer review meetings, advisory council meetings, issuance of new awards, and program/grants management activities.
• The admission of new patients to the NIH Clinical Center (unless deemed medically necessary by the NIH Clinical Center Director).
• Training of graduate students and postdoctoral fellows at NIH facilities.
• Travel of NIH scientists to scientific meetings.

NIH staff, whose responsibilities are deemed necessary for patient care and the protection of property, will continue to work without pay.

Government Shutdown: What Clinicians Need to Know

Medicare and Medicaid Programs: According to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) contingency plan, during a lapse in funding, the Medicare Program will continue. CMS has sufficient funding for Medicaid to fund the first quarter of FY 2026, based on the advanced appropriation provided for in the Full-Year Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2025. CMS is maintaining the staff necessary to make payments to eligible states for the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP). CMS is also continuing Federal Marketplace activities, such as eligibility verification, using Federal Marketplace user fee carryover. Other non-discretionary activities including Health Care Fraud and Abuse Control (HCFAC) and Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) activities are also continuing.

Telehealth Services: Physicians who provide telehealth services to Medicare patients should be aware that the Medicare telehealth flexibility has lapsed for care to all patients except those being treated for mental health or substance use disorders. This means that telehealth services are limited to rural areas as they were before the COVID public health emergency and that patients cannot receive telehealth services in their homes. Note, however, physicians in certain Medicare Shared Savings Program accountable care organizations (ACOs) can continue to provide and be paid for telehealth services. In addition, the ability to provide audio-only services to Medicare patients lapsed, as did the Acute Hospital Care at Home program.

Special Diabetes Program & other health extenders: Funding for the Special Diabetes Program and other health extender programs has lapsed. Other programs include the community health centers, the National Health Service Corps, and teaching health centers that operate graduate medical education (GME) programs. It also includes public health emergency authorities (e.g., Public Health Emergency Fund); increased inpatient hospital payment adjustment for certain low-volume hospitals; Medicare-Dependent Hospital (MDH) program; quality measure endorsement, input, and selection; and outreach and assistance for low-income programs (e.g., area agencies on aging).

Medicare Claims: On October 22, CMS issued updated guidance instructing all Medicare Administrative Contractors (MACs) to lift the claims hold and process claims with dates of service of October 1, 2025, and later for certain services impacted by select expired Medicare legislative payment provisions. This includes claims paid under the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule, ground ambulance transport claims, and Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) claims. This includes telehealth claims that CMS can confirm are definitively for behavioral and mental health services. CMS has directed all MACs to continue to temporarily hold claims for other telehealth services (i.e. those that CMS cannot confirm are definitively for behavioral and mental health services) and for acute Hospital Care at Home claims. For the latest information, physicians should monitor their MAC’s website and this CMS webpage.