If U.S. lawmakers fail to reach a debt ceiling agreement in time to avoid a government default — something that could happen as soon as June 1 — millions of Americans might see disruptions to their health insurance coverage.
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One of the main impacts of a default would be felt by Americans who receive government-run health insurance from programs like Medicare and Medicaid. That’s because many healthcare providers depend on Medicare and Medicaid for revenue, Politico reported — and those programs could see funding cut in the event of a default.
Medicare alone accounted for more than one-quarter (26%) of national hospital spending as recently as 2021. If the federal government suspends Medicare funds because it has run out