Key Points:
- UnitedHealth Group has provided over $2 billion in support to healthcare providers affected by the cyberattack on its subsidiary, Change Healthcare.
- The cyberattack caused significant disruption to the U.S. healthcare system, impacting services such as e-prescription and payment management.
- The American Hospital Association reports widespread financial disruptions, with many hospitals estimating daily revenue losses of $1 million.
- The Biden administration has launched an investigation, and UnitedHealth is cooperating with law enforcement and third-party experts to assess the breach.
UnitedHealth Group announced on Monday that it has disbursed over $2 billion to assist healthcare providers impacted by the cyberattack on its subsidiary, Change Healthcare. In a press release, UnitedHealth CEO Andrew Witty stated, “We continue to make significant progress in restoring the services impacted by this cyberattack. We know this has been an enormous challenge for healthcare providers, and we encourage any in need to contact us.”
Nearly a month ago, UnitedHealth revealed that a cyber threat actor breached part of Change Healthcare’s information technology network, causing widespread disruption across the U.S. healthcare system. Change Healthcare offers essential services such as e-prescription software and tools for payment management, leaving many providers temporarily unable to fill medications or receive reimbursements for their services.
UnitedHealth, which serves 152 million individuals, announced the release of medical claims preparation software, an important step in resuming services. This software will be available to thousands of customers in the coming days.
Recently, UnitedHealth restored Change Healthcare’s electronic payments platform and rebooted 99% of its pharmacy network services. Additionally, it introduced a temporary funding assistance program to aid healthcare providers facing cash flow challenges due to the attack. Repayment for these advances will not be required until claims flows return normal.
Federal agencies, including the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, have introduced additional options to facilitate interim payments to providers affected by the cyberattack. According to a survey by the American Hospital Association, 94% of hospitals experienced financial disruptions from the Change Healthcare attack, with more than 60% estimating revenue losses of approximately $1 million per day.
AHA CEO Rick Pollack urged Congress and the Administration to take immediate action to support providers coping with the aftermath of the cyberattack. Due to its unprecedented magnitude, the Biden administration has launched an investigation into the incident. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office for Civil Rights is conducting the inquiry to ensure compliance with HIPAA’s security, privacy, and breach notification rules.
UnitedHealth has collaborated with law enforcement and third-party experts such as Palo Alto Networks and Google Cloud’s Mandiant to assess the breach. However, the company has not disclosed the nature of compromised data or any cooperation with the cyber threat actor.
