In last week’s Preview, we said this week would be one to watch for movement on the shutdown because of a few important dates. On November 1, 2025, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Marketplace open enrollment began, where consumers will begin to see higher premiums in part due to the expiration of the enhanced advanced premium tax credits. That could jumpstart more public outcry this week, but it may take more time for consumers to see their premium increases and call their lawmakers, as many consumers typically shop for or re-enroll in coverage later in the open enrollment period.
Most public attention instead seems to be on Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) funding, as federal funding expired November 1, 2025. However, on October 31, 2025, two federal judges ordered the Trump administration to use money from a contingency fund to pay states. In a court filing on November 3, 2025, the administration announced it will comply with the order but will not seek an additional funding source. As a result, SNAP payments will only cover half of households’ current allotments for November. It remains to be seen how this decision might impact shutdown conversations this week, and additional litigation to fully fund payments for November is possible.
November 4, 2025, is Election Day in many states where high-stakes races could influence federal policymaking, including races for New York City mayor, New Jersey governor, and Virginia governor. If Democrats sweep the races, they could use it as another signal that the public believes they are winning in the shutdown standoff, encouraging them to keep their heels dug in. Regardless of the outcomes, any progress on the shutdown this week is likely to occur after the elections. If the shutdown continues to Wednesday, it will surpass the 35-day 2018 – 2019 shutdown and become the longest government shutdown.
Additional items on the docket this week include a Senate Special Committee on Aging hearing to discuss the Older Americans Act, and a Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations hearing to assess the ACA. Late on October 31, 2025, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (after calling furloughed staff back) released the final Physician Fee Schedule for calendar year (CY) 2026 ahead of the November 1 statutory deadline. This week stakeholders should be on the lookout for the remaining CY 2026 final rules for the Outpatient Prospective Payment System (PPS), End-Stage Renal Disease PPS, and Home Health PPS. The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission is scheduled to meet Thursday and Friday; however, that meeting will be cancelled or postponed unless the shutdown is resolved in time.
In this week’s Healthcare Preview podcast, Debbie Curtis and Rodney Whitlock join Julia Grabo to discuss why we are watching this week closely for signs of a reopening government.
