Eight Ways the Government Shutdown Can Affect Your Health

How the government being MIA isn’t good for our health.

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Political Infighting Impacts the Wellness of America - It’s been more than a week since the federal government packed up and shut down because the Dems and the Republicans couldn’t see eye to eye on the budget. With these federal agencies shut down temporarily and some benefits halted, some Americans will suffer more than others when it comes to their health. Read how the government being MIA isn’t good for food security, Obamacare, nutrition assistance and more. —Kellee Terrell (Photo: Charles Dharapak/AP Photo)

Open Enrollment Starts Oct. 1 - Enrollment for the Health Care Open Market begins today. Uninsured middle class and lower income Americans can finally begin signing up for health-care plans. While there are plenty of myths out there, get the facts and get ready to enroll. —Kellee Terrell(Photo: REUTERS/Jonathan Alcorn)

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Obamacare Enrollment Could Be Affected - While Obamacare is still in effect, the computer glitches that need to get fixed will have to happen with less folks around given that so many workers have been sent home. This could be a serious problem for younger Americans who strive to buy their health care online if the site isn’t working properly, writes Buzzfeed. (Photo: Jonathan Alcorn/REUTERS)

No New Patients Added to Clinical Trials - For life-saving clinical trials headed up by the National Institute of Health (NIH), no new patients will be added to the mix during the shutdown. The Wall Street Journal reported that this translates into 200 new patients, including 30 children. (Photo: Rebecca Cook/REUTERS)

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No New Patients Added to Clinical Trials - For life-saving clinical trials headed up by the National Institute of Health (NIH), no new patients will be added to the mix during the shutdown. The Wall Street Journal reported that this translates into 200 new patients, including 30 children. (Photo: Rebecca Cook/REUTERS)

Order an Uber Car and a Flu Shot at the Same Time - With flu season right around the corner, Uber is beginning to use their car service as a means to help nurses provide flu vaccines to people, USA Today writes. In areas such as New York, Washington, D.C., and Boston, the program UberHEALTH hopes to help increase the number of people getting vaccinated as a means to protect everyone’s health.(Photo: Marvin Joseph /The Washington Post via Getty Images)

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The CDC’s Work Is Very Limited - The good news: The CDC will continue to provide “minimal assistance” to certain health issues such as outbreaks and lab processing. The bad news: They have suspended their annual flu program, which means they will not be tracking where the illness is most prevalent. (You can still get a flu vaccine though. Most vaccines have been shipped to pharmacies and doctors already.)(Photo: Marvin Joseph /The Washington Post via Getty Images)

Federal Trade Commission v. Actavis - The court ruled in a 5-3 decision that it can be illegal for agreements made between makers of name-brand and generic drugs to delay the generic drugs’ availability to consumers. (Photo: Jeffrey Coolidge/Getty Images)

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Your Prescriptions Could Be More Expensive - Because the Health Resources and Services Administration is on lockdown, the 340B federal drug discount program — a program that requires drug companies to provide drugs at a low cost — isn’t allowing new enrollment for the October 1-15 period. However, for those already in the program, their discounts will still be honored. (Photo: Jeffrey Coolidge/Getty Images)

Photo By Photo: Jeffrey Coolidge/Getty Image

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Tossing Out Expired Food - In the winter, we tend to hibernate, stocking up on food. Now is the time to toss out anything that's expired to make room for your new and healthier diet. You might also find some healthy stuff packed away in the back of your pantry.   (Photo: Jerod Harris/Getty Images)

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Families May Go Hungry  - The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) says that their Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) only has enough funding for the month of October. This means that 8.9 million women and children will go without assistance for infant formula, breastfeeding support and food if the shutdown goes into November. (Photo: Jerod Harris/Getty Images for Cost Plus)

Our Food Isn’t as Safe - Because of the government shutdown, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) will stop a majority of their food industry inspections. It’s estimated that every day the FDA does 80 food inspections. The good news: The agency will continue to inspect meat production facilities as a means to monitor food safety.  (Photo: Robert Browman/Getty Images)

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Our Food Isn’t as Safe - Because of the government shutdown, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) will stop a majority of their food industry inspections. It’s estimated that every day the FDA does 80 food inspections. The good news: The agency will continue to inspect meat production facilities as a means to monitor food safety.  (Photo: Robert Browman/Getty Images)

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No New Drug Approvals - The FDA cannot review or approve any new drugs coming down the pipeline, including the five drugs they were supposed to review this month. Among those drugs were treatments for menopause, triglycerides, diabetes and kidney disease, writes 24/7 Wall Street.(Photo: AP Photo/Johns Hopkins Medicine)

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Environmental Protection Won’t Be as Strong - Ninety-four percent of workers from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) were sent home, which means that most long-term projects are suspended, unless it is an “imminent danger” to public safety. However, those who work on short term public safety around hazards, food and drug pollution can continue working, the Huffington Post reported. (Photo: Jeff Fusco/Getty Images)