Priya PatelTLDR:
- Change Healthcare faced a cyberattack impacting billing for healthcare providers across the state and country.
- UnitedHealth Group has paid ransom money to restore some systems, but the full extent of the impact is still uncertain.
Change Healthcare, a medical middleman owned by UnitedHealth Group, was recently hit by a cyberattack that has caused significant disruptions in the billing processes for healthcare providers nationwide. Bryan Harnsberger, the owner of a therapy practice in Wellesley with over 600 patients, has been unable to bill patients for almost six weeks due to the attack. The online program managed by Change Healthcare, which processes claims and billing for most healthcare providers regardless of insurance, went dark on February 21.
Providers like Harnsberger are feeling the financial strain as they are unable to verify insurance or submit claims, impacting the bottom line of solo practitioners who rely on timely payments. UnitedHealth Group has paid some ransom money to restore systems, but there is still uncertainty about the extent of the impact and whether patient data was compromised. Cyber security expert Peter Tran reassures patients that their personal medical data is unlikely to be at risk, as the data involved is typically limited to billing codes.
However, patients may feel the impact of the cyberattack when bills come in, potentially in large chunks as providers catch up on delayed submissions. Despite finding workarounds to continue billing patients temporarily, providers like Harnsberger are frustrated by being caught in the middle of cyberattacks targeting insurance companies. The uncertainty of when Change Healthcare’s systems will fully return to normal adds to the stress for healthcare providers and patients alike.
As more information unfolds about the cyberattack and its implications, healthcare providers are left grappling with disruptions and trying to navigate the complex landscape of digital vulnerabilities in the healthcare system.
