Health Providers Struggle To Get Paid As Ransomware Attack Stretches On
Hospitals, health systems, and pharmacies that work with the UnitedHealth subsidiary are now feeling the effects of the cyberattack on Change Healthcare as payments are frozen. More patients are also experiencing difficulty in getting their medical prescriptions filled amid reports that the ransomware outage could last several more weeks.
Reuters:
Healthcare Providers Hit By Frozen Payments In Ransomware Outage
Healthcare providers across the United States are struggling to get paid following the week-long ransomware outage at a key tech unit of UnitedHealth Group, with some smaller providers saying they are already running low on cash. Large hospital chains are also locked out of processing payments with some absorbing the upfront costs of being unable to collect, according to the American Hospital Association, which represents nearly 5,000 hospitals, healthcare systems, networks and other providers. (Satter, Bing and Wingrove, 2/29)
CBS News:
Cyberattack On UnitedHealth Still Impacting Prescription Access: "These Are Threats To Life"
A cyberattack on the health technology provider Change Healthcare is wreaking havoc nationwide, as some hospitals and pharmacies cannot get paid, and many patients are unable to get prescriptions. Change Healthcare is a subsidiary of the UnitedHealth Group, one of the nation's largest healthcare companies. In a federal filing this week, UnitedHealth said that Change Healthcare first discovered the hack on Feb. 21, disconnecting impacted systems "immediately." (Sganga and Triay, 2/29)
Stat:
Change Healthcare Cyberattack Outage Could Last Weeks
The outage caused by the Change Healthcare cyberattack could last weeks, a top UnitedHealth executive suggested in a Tuesday conference call with hospital cybersecurity officers, according to a recording obtained by STAT. (Trang, 2/29)
