CMS Brings Back Furloughed Staff for Medicare Open Enrollment Lifeline

concept word Medicare on cubes on a blue background — (Image credit: Getty Images)

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is taking measures to safeguard a critical season for American health care, announcing the temporary return of approximately 3,000 workers who are expected to manage the ongoing Medicare Open Enrollment and upcoming Affordable Care Act (ACA) Marketplace Open Enrollment periods. This recall, necessitated by the ongoing government shutdown, underscores the essential nature of these employees' duties and the impact staff shortages can have on federal health programs and their beneficiaries.

Last week, some employees of the Bureau of Labor Statistics were recalled to complete the September CPI report. This report contained data that was essential to computing the 2026 Social Security COLA. That report was released on October 24, nine days after its scheduled release date of October 15.

Addressing the operational issues

The decision to bring back the furloughed workers comes at a crucial juncture. The Medicare Open Enrollment period that runs from October 15 – December 7 is already underway, and the ACA Marketplace Open Enrollment will begin soon on November 1 and run until January 15. Together, these periods represent a vital window during which millions of Americans enroll or change their health coverage for the coming year. Losing thousands of workers during this period could undermine beneficiaries' ability to find and enroll in the best health care plan for their needs and budget.

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A CMS spokesperson told the Federal News Network that the recall was necessary "to best serve the American people amid the Medicare and Marketplace open enrollment seasons."

The recall highlights the vast responsibilities of CMS, which provides health coverage for over 160 million Americans through its programs: Medicare, Medicaid, and the ACA Marketplaces. Without sufficient staffing, even mandatory federal programs, which are largely protected from a shutdown, such as Medicare, can face administrative issues and staffing shortfalls that directly impact beneficiaries.

Funding the furlough fix

An interesting aspect of the recall is the funding mechanism used to pay the employees. To avoid violating government shutdown rules, CMS announced that the returning employees will be paid through user fees collected from sharing data with researchers, a funding stream separate from the lapsed congressional appropriations, according to Reuters.

While this solution ensures staff are paid and operations can continue for the time being, it is temporary, and the duration of the recall remains unknown.

With the cost of next year's health plans still unknown for many, the increased staffing at the CMS provides some assurance that the enrollment process itself will not be interrupted or impeded by the current political stalemate.

The CMS staff recall shows that the agency’s mission is critical — and the deadlines too immovable — to be subject to ordinary shutdown procedures. It is an information lifeline extended to the millions of Americans who depend on a functioning enrollment system to secure their health coverage.

Donna joined Kiplinger as a personal finance writer in 2023. She spent more than a decade as the contributing editor of J.K.Lasser's Your Income Tax Guide and edited state specific legal treatises at ALM Media. She has shared her expertise as a guest on Bloomberg, CNN, Fox, NPR, CNBC and many other media outlets around the nation. She is a graduate of Brooklyn Law School and the University at Buffalo.