The ongoing federal government shutdown is putting a strain on healthcare organizations across the country, and specialty physician practices have not been spared.
Urology practices, for example, are feeling the consequences of the rollback of key Medicare telehealth flexibilities, which expired at the start of the fiscal year in October, Urology Times reported Oct. 29.
The change in telehealth policy ended coverage for home and audio-only visits for most non-behavioral health services. Many practices have come to rely on these tools since the COVID-19 pandemic, especially those in rural and underserved areas where patients may have to travel long distances for specialty care, such as urology.
“Most urology practices now have decided to terminate any telehealth services until further notice, and I know some practices that have canceled upwards of 200 to 300 in a month where they would have been seen by telehealth.” Scott Sellinger, MD, a urologist at Advanced Urology Institute in Florida, told Urology Times. “Now, these patients either need to come to the office or have their appointments canceled altogether.”
Staffing furloughs have also become worrisome for urologists, as CMS slows its processes for routine regulatory work, including the pending release of its final payment rules for 2026.
“Without clarity on reimbursement and reporting rules, many practices may be left in limbo as they plan for the year ahead,” reads the report. “The situation has fueled growing concern across the specialty that operational disruptions could soon translate into delays in care and worse outcomes for patients with chronic or complex urologic conditions.”
Kara Newbury, chief advocacy officer of the Ambulatory Surgery Center Association, recently told Becker’s that the last time CMS’ rule finalization was delayed was during the government shutdown in 2013. Given that the shutdown is currently the second-longest in U.S. history, a delay in the release of the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule and other 2026 rules seems increasingly likely.
“Typically, we expect our final payment rule to come out on or around Nov. 2,” she said. “And considering the first and second are on a weekend this year, that would probably take place on Halloween. If we don’t see it by Friday, the 31st, all bets are off. [The finalized rule] came out the day before Thanksgiving back in 2013 when we had the shutdown.”
While care delays and other consequences of the shutdown have not yet reached a critical point, Dr. Sellinger emphasized that any disruptions to patient care should be taken seriously.
“Anything that hampers our ability to treat our patients in a timely manner is problematic,” he said. “When there are barriers where patients cannot be seen in a way that’s safe for them to be seen, then that opens the door for complications and problems. We do expect some of that will occur, and that’s why we hope and we impress upon our legislators that we need to get past this quickly.”
