Georgia Hospital Ransomware Hack Prompts Patients’ Class-Action Lawsuit

Savannah Morning News: Class-Action Lawsuit Filed Against Georgia Hospital After Ransomware Attack
Daniel Elliott, a Georgia resident and patient of St. Joseph's/Candler Hospital Health System, has filed a class-action lawsuit on behalf of himself and the 1.4 million patients, professionals, and clients whose personal, financial and health information may have been compromised in the ransomware attack against the hospital's IT systems. Filed on Aug. 28, by the Savannah-based personal injury firm of Harris Lowry Manton LLP, the lawsuit alleges that SJ/C, the region's largest health care system, violated its privacy policy and acted negligently when it failed to adequately secure patients' information and take preventive measures to avoid the ransonware attack and data breach, which was detected on June 17. (Habersham, 9/11)

Modern Healthcare: Health Insurance Exchanges To See More Competition, Uncertainty Next Year
Health insurers are preparing for a volatile 2022, factoring increased competition, regulatory changes and pandemic uncertainty into their bids for the coming enrollment season on the health insurance exchanges. Next year is poised to be the most competitive yet on Affordable Care Act's exchanges since they opened for business in 2013, said Ari Gottlieb, a principal at the consultancy A2 Strategy. At least 11 insurers plan to enter new markets for the 2022 plan year and some current participants are expanding their footprints, according to data compiled by the consumer guide HealthInsurance.org. Exchange customers have had increasingly more carriers from which to choose over the past three years. Last year, just 10% of counties had a single insurer, down from 25% in 2019. (Tepper, 9/13)

Modern Healthcare: Blue Shield Of California And Walgreens Team Up To Offer Community-Based Care
Blue Shield of California and Walgreens are teaming up to offer healthcare services to Blue Shield commercial members aimed at improving condition management and delivering whole-person care, according to a news release on Friday. Eligible Blue Shield beneficiaries will be able to get blood pressure screenings, blood tests to diagnose diabetes, mammography care coordination and other services through Walgreens' Health Corner locations. Pharmacists, dieticians or nurses are available at each site to offer health, nutrition and disease management help and advice to members. (Brady, 9/10)

Houston Chronicle: New HCA Houston Medical Center CEO Aims To Make A Hospital 'Houston Can Be Proud Of'
Newly named CEO Chris Osentowski began working at HCA Houston Medical Center amid a generational pandemic with a vision of creating a hospital Houstonians can be proud of. Located across from the Houston Museum of Natural Science, Osentowski has been leading the medical staff at the hospital since August 23. According to him, stepping into the position during a generational pandemic and staffing crisis for Texas hospitals creates a unique challenge of supporting his staff while expanding hospital capacity because of COVID-19. (Nickerson, 9/12)

Modern Healthcare: OptumHealth Launches Virtual LGBTQ Education Program For Providers
OptumHealth Education has co-created a free, publicly available and accredited program to educate healthcare professionals on the LGBTQ community's specific care needs. The series of virtual lessons from Optum and OutCare Health, a national not-for-profit LGBTQ health equity organization, are meant to help providers build and promote a more affirming and supportive healthcare environment for LGBTQ people. This program is a large part of UnitedHealth Group's commitment to advancing health equity, said Amy Nguyen Howell, Optum senior national medical director, Office for Provider Advancement. (Devereaux, 9/10)