A cyberattack that disrupted insurance processing at pharmacies across the US continues to wreak havoc in the Health care industry, with professionals from Maryland to New York feeling the impact on their businesses.
Raeya Disney, a psychotherapist in Maryland, is concerned about potentially giving up her office space if the billing outage persists. Purvi Parikh, an allergist in New York, is facing additional burdens as practices scramble to find alternative ways to process claims and fill prescriptions.
The cyberattack targeted Change Healthcare, a unit of UnitedHealth, resulting in significant financial losses for health care providers. Carter Groome, CEO of Health First Advisory, estimates that some providers are losing over $100 million per day, creating an unsustainable situation in an industry with limited cash reserves.
Elevance Health, the parent company of Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, has taken precautionary measures by severing network connections with Change Healthcare. Despite efforts to remediate the situation, some health care professionals are still facing challenges with insurance processing.
Confusion persists among providers on how to adapt to the situation, with stories like that of Amy Cizik in Utah highlighting the struggles faced by those with chronic illnesses. The cyberattack has prompted concerns at the highest levels of the US government, with officials from the FBI and departments of HHS and Homeland Security working to address the issue.
Forensic evidence indicates that a ransomware gang, known for their ALPHV malware, was behind the attack on Change Healthcare. While the Justice Department has taken action against this group in the past, cybercriminals continue to pose a threat to the health care sector.
The American Hospital Association reports ongoing disruptions to insurance claims processing, underscoring the far-reaching impact of this cyberattack on the entire industry. As efforts continue to restore normal operations, the resilience of the health care sector is being put to the test in the face of evolving cyber threats.
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