From Neyland's Dark Mode to D.C.'s Shutdown: What's "Blacked Out" and What's Still Running?

The energy in Neyland Stadium on Saturday night was electric. The crowd, a sea of black for the Vols' "Dark Mode" game against Oklahoma, created a spectacle of unified focus and passion. Conversely, the very notion of a "blackout" brings to mind a different kind of widespread disruption—the current government shutdown. 

As two women who cheered on the Vols (and who work every day to help people navigate their finances and healthcare), the contrast is striking. On one hand, a deliberate, powerful 'blackout' that brings people together; on the other, an involuntary, chaotic "blackout" of government services that strains our economy and impacts millions of lives.

📉 The Financial Blackout: Services Halted

As a financial professional, I see the immediate and cumulative economic damage caused by a lapse in government funding. It's not just about federal employees missing paychecks; it’s a snowball effect on the entire economy.

Here are some key services that are essentially "blacked out" or severely limited:

• Small Business Loans: The Small Business Administration (SBA) generally stops approving new loan applications and guarantees. This immediately cuts off a vital funding lifeline for small businesses that rely on federal support to start, expand, or manage cash flow. This delay in capital can be devastating, putting new investments and hiring plans on hold.

• Economic Data and Research: Key government agencies cease collecting and publishing timely economic data. This "blackout" of information makes it harder for businesses, investors, and policymakers to make informed decisions, increasing uncertainty in the financial markets.

• IRS Processing: The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) furloughs a significant portion of its staff, slowing down or halting services like taxpayer assistance and processing of non-essential tax forms and refunds.

The Cost: The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates that past shutdowns have shaved billions off the nation's permanent economic output, an unrecoverable loss that goes beyond simply recouping lost wages (CBO, The Effects of the 2018–2019 Government Shutdown on the U.S. Economy).

🏥 The Healthcare and Human Services Filter: What Continues

As a licensed Medicare agent, I field many calls about how the shutdown affects healthcare access, especially for our seniors. The good news is that most essential health and benefit payments are not blacked out. During the initial weeks of the shutdown, 3,000 CMS employees were furloughed but they have since been recalled due to the start of the open enrollment period.

What Stays "ON" (Mandatory Spending)

Mandatory spending programs, which are not subject to annual appropriations, generally continue to operate. This is crucial for maintaining a safety net.

• Medicare and Medicaid: Coverage and payments continue for current beneficiaries. You should still be able to see your doctor and fill prescriptions. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) core operations and the 1-800-MEDICARE hotline remain functioning.

• Social Security: Benefit checks continue to be paid out on schedule.

• Veterans' Benefits: VA medical facilities and clinics remain fully operational.

What is "Dimmed" (Administrative Blackout)

While coverage continues, the customer support and administrative infrastructure face a slowdown:

• Administrative Delays: Services that rely on federal staff, like processing new Medicare card requests, conducting non-urgent casework, or certain appeals, will experience significant delays.

• Public Health Oversight: Policy and rulemaking within CMS may be paused, and federal staff providing support to state programs like State Health Insurance Assistance Programs (SHIPs) may be furloughed, leaving local counselors with less federal guidance.

• Food Assistance: While SNAP and WIC benefits for the immediate period may be funded, a prolonged shutdown threatens the timely distribution of future benefits, creating anxiety and food insecurity for millions of families (Source: Center on Budget and Policy Priorities).  SNAP funds were set to run out on 11/2/2025.

💡 The Takeaway: More Than Just a Game

In Knoxville, "Dark Mode" symbolizes the team’s spirit and the fans' collective hope for a victory. The atmosphere is unified. In Washington, the shutdown is a forced "blackout" of services, causing division and, most importantly, financial and emotional distress.

It’s a reminder that while the core functions of our government—like benefit payments—are designed to withstand these political standoffs, the supportive, day-to-day administrative services that make the system work are not. For a financial system to thrive and for a healthcare system to be fully accessible, we need the lights to be on, all the time.

Go Vols, and let's hope for an end to this other, more costly, blackout soon.

How can we help? 

• We can review your current financial & medical plans for any holes in your OFFENSIVE PLANNING based on the evolving changes.

• We want to ensure that your financial plan doesn’t harm your pocketbook with IRMAA charges- we are your DEFENSIVE LINE.

• Call us at 423-589-0154 to schedule! 

By Heather Brame & Julie Hamilton

References:

1. The Effects of the 2018–2019 Government Shutdown on the U.S. Economy. Congressional Budget Office. (CBO).

2. Impact of a Government Shutdown on Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security. Center for Medicare Advocacy.

3. SNAP and WIC During a Government Shutdown: What to Know. Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.