As the government shutdown stretches into its second week, growing concern surrounds its impact on healthcare services for military families—especially in San Antonio, Texas, known as “Military City USA.”
Doctors and clinics in the area report that they are no longer being reimbursed for care provided under the TRICARE program, which serves active-duty personnel, retirees, and their dependents. The delay in payments is creating serious financial strain on civilian providers who rely on timely compensation to stay afloat.
The shutdown stems from a budget impasse in Congress, where Senate Democrats—led by Majority Leader Chuck Schumer—are reportedly insisting on including Affordable Care Act subsidy extensions in any agreement to reopen the government.
Critics argue that this political standoff is placing the healthcare of military families in jeopardy, with San Antonio among the hardest-hit areas due to its large concentration of Department of Defense personnel and facilities.
Joint Base San Antonio (JBSA), the largest joint military base in the United States, includes Lackland AFB, Randolph AFB, Fort Sam Houston, and Camp Bullis—all of which support tens of thousands of military members and their families who depend on TRICARE for vital medical care.
Now, many local clinics and providers say they’re being forced to scale back or even consider shutting down.
Dr. Britt Sims, Executive Director of Integrated Behavior Solutions—a clinic serving children with developmental disorders—told News4SA:
“We can last a couple of weeks on what I have personally, but now, I’m done. I’m spent. If by some miracle, something happens, then I don’t know. We’ll keep fighting somehow.”
Dr. Gia Koehne, who runs The Blossom Center for Children, echoed those concerns:
“Everything is completely stalled and halted. We have a lot of families that need services, and we just don’t have the capacity to do that, because we’re not getting paid.”
Koehne’s practice, like many others, provides care for children diagnosed with autism—a population especially vulnerable to care disruptions.
TRICARE, the government-backed health insurance program for military families, issued a statement on October 1 warning of payment delays due to the shutdown:
“TRICARE may not be able to process or pay medical claims received on or after October 1, 2025, until funding is restored.”
While military pharmacies and prescription services remain operational, and civilian appointments can continue for now, healthcare providers face growing uncertainty as the shutdown drags on.
Despite the chaos, the Trump administration announced it would ensure that active-duty military personnel continue to receive pay during the shutdown. Officials say unused funds originally allocated for research and development will be temporarily redirected to cover military payroll.
Still, for the civilian providers who care for these families—and for the families themselves—the consequences of what many are calling the “Schumer Shutdown” are already being felt. Unless funding is restored soon, access to care could deteriorate further, leaving military families in limbo during a time of political gridlock.
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