"Her husband is covered by TRICARE, the health care program offered to members of the military and veterans. "You basically pay upfront, and then you're reimbursed," says the federal worker, who asked to remain anonymous as she is not authorized to speak to the press. "Typically with big surgeries like this, you get preapproval and the payment process is easier," she says."
"But on October 1, just days before her husband went in for surgery, the government shut down. This meant that his claims can't be paid until the government reopens. "As soon as the shutdown happened I didn't hear from any more [TRICARE] representatives. I've tried to call and can't get anyone on the phone," says the federal worker. The couple is out tens of thousands of dollars."
"These are just two of the 750,000 furloughed federal workers trying to make ends meet as the government reaches 30 days in shutdown. WIRED spoke with more than a dozen federal workers who have struggled through the last few weeks and described picking up side gigs, taking advantage of free food programs, or working under demoralizing conditions to survive."
The US government has been shut down for 30 days, leaving roughly 750,000 federal workers furloughed or working without pay. Many workers face immediate financial strain from mounting bills and delayed reimbursements that require upfront payment, including TRICARE claims for major medical procedures. Affected employees have taken side gigs, relied on food banks and free-meal programs like World Central Kitchen, or continued to work under demoralizing conditions. Several workers report inability to reach agency representatives and accumulating debt from unpaid medical and other essential expenses. The shutdown has produced widespread economic and emotional hardship among federal staff.
Read at WIRED
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