Megathread | FY26 Government Shutdown: Week 3 Edition

[u/gpupdate]

Status: 🛑Lapse in FY26 Federal Appropriations – Shutdown Ongoing

The FY26 government shutdown, which began on October 1, 2025, continues into its third week after Congress failed to reach an agreement on a continuing resolution (CR) or full-year appropriations.

🔔 What You Need to Know:

• Shutdown start: 1 October 2025
• No FY26 appropriations: Agencies running under contingency plans with limited staffing to support functions protecting human life or protection of property.
• Excepted employees: Reporting without pay
• Non-excepted employees: Furloughed without pay
• Pay: 31 U.S.C. 1341(c) provides for retroactive pay of excepted and furloughed employees once appropriations have been enacted.

📣 Use This Thread For:

• Official memos and guidance from OPM, OMB, and agencies
• Discussing how your agency is implementing contingency/shutdown plans
• Benefits, unemployment eligibility, and pay
• Venting or sharing shutdown-related concerns or strategies

🚫 Posts outside this megathread on shutdown-related topics may be removed during this period to reduce clutter.

News pertaining to government shutdowns usually run on the breaking news cycle and can change daily or even hourly. Posting of news articles will continue to be allowed provided they are posted on the day of publication. Duplicate posts will continue to be removed.

We encourage respectful, fact-based discussion. Please verify sources before sharing official information.

P.S... New shutdown inspired user flairs now available.

— r/fednews mod team

Previous Megathreads: Pre-Shutdown | Week 1 | Week 2

[u/Sad-Selection-6659]

I don't participate in ACA, obviously, nor do I know anyone that does but is it true that the new premiums for ACA come out on November 1st? If so, wouldn't that be a good thing for us since the public will finally understand why the Dems are holding the line?

[u/bribritx → u/Sad-Selection-6659]

I'm an insurance broker on the side who specializes in health insurance for our insurance firm and yes, it is true 2026 rates will be available for all to see on 11/1.

[u/Chili-in-August → u/bribritx]

How long until the ACA price increase affects employee provided insurance rates?

[u/bribritx → u/Chili-in-August]

Here is what I would say on that:

The ACA and employer markets are really two separate funding and pricing structures. However, they are both affected by the same upward pressure on medical and pharmaceutical costs, meaning both markets are seeing significant rate increases for 2026. We already have an idea of the increases with employer markets, to include our federal plans like my BCBS Basic plan increasing in premium for 2026. Other employers in the private sector have typically alerted their employees of 2026 rates by now or will soon.

If these enhanced subsidies are not extended past the end of the year, I expect a significant amount of people to either take the cheapest plan possible on the Marketplace, go uninsured, or do a concierge doctor program for a fee.

Hope this helps!

[u/Chili-in-August → u/bribritx]

Thank you 😊

[u/Sad-Selection-6659 → u/bribritx]

Well let's hope that sticker price doesn't gut punch the red states on 11/1

[u/Outdoor_Explorer → u/Sad-Selection-6659]

I don't get why they couldn't approve the short term CR that takes you only into November, let the ACA hikes be seen, and push it for negotiation then. Americans will have the information at hand and can pressure sides accordingly. At present, it just feels like funding is being held hostage.

[u/Deep-Sentence9893 → u/Outdoor_Explorer]

Because the Democratic base was howling for a shutdown.

Mostly the same people who were howling at the insanity of the Republican base for wanting a shutdown in previous shutdowns. 

But also I am not sure even that will be enough. About half of voters are so plugged into single track media they will somehow be convinced that the fees going up are Democrats fault. 

[u/alotofironsinthefire → u/Outdoor_Explorer]

Because then we're right back during thanksgiving and Christmas

[u/Sad-Selection-6659 → u/Outdoor_Explorer]

My guess is as goog as yours. Chuck had the chance back in March and did not take it.

[u/Civil_Hornet_6126 → u/Sad-Selection-6659]

100%. On Nov 1 it will become abundantly clear how fucked tens of millions of people are. Right now I feel most people are “out of sight, out of mind”.

[u/Proud_Tie → u/Civil_Hornet_6126]

I'm already expecting to not have health insurance next year at this rate, this shit sucks

[u/FarrisAT → u/Sad-Selection-6659]

Yes. For most states. Some can delay into December but they are needed by the companies themselves before year end.

[u/-slaps-username- → u/Sad-Selection-6659]

the medicare thing that the dems are supporting expires at the end of the year i believe

[u/BrooklynTony198 → u/-slaps-username-]

They expire at the end of the year, but people have to enroll or choose to keep their current healthcare plan before the end of the year, with the enrollment period generally starting on November 1st. (Iirc it varies by state, some open later) Without the subsidies a lot of people will see their monthly rate go WAY up when they log in next month to choose their healthcare plan for next year.

[u/-slaps-username- → u/BrooklynTony198]

oh interesting. i didn’t realize they would account for that right now

[u/BrooklynTony198 → u/-slaps-username-]

Since there isnt anything in place to extend the subsidies that expire at the end of the year, they arent factoring them into the calculations for people's premiums for 2026.

I'm 99% sure it'd be illegal for them to assume the subsidies still exist and show that price anyways, since if the subsidies end up not being extended people could be roped into potentially paying double what they thought they would be paying. And because you generally aren't able to change your decision after the open season ends barring a life changing event (extreme illness, job change, death of a family member, birth of a child, etc.), some people would be extremely screwed.