US govt to UnitedHealth: Accelerate healthcare provider payments amid cyberattack fallout
In an open letter on Sunday, officials from the US government urged UnitedHealth Group (UHG) to expedite payments to healthcare providers, following a cyberattack on the insurer’s Change Healthcare tech unit that severely disrupted medical claims and payments.
The US Department of Labor and the US Department of Health and Human Services emphasised the importance of UnitedHealth taking swift action to address the financial strain faced by healthcare providers due to the cyberattack on Change Healthcare. While the letter singled out UnitedHealth, it also called on other industry players to assist in mitigating the impact of the attack.
“We call on UHG, other insurance companies, clearinghouses, and healthcare entities to take additional actions to alleviate the challenges faced by patients and providers, particularly those serving as safety nets,” the letter stated.
UnitedHealth has yet to respond to requests for comment.
Last Tuesday, the US government announced plans to expedite Medicare and Medicaid payments to hospitals affected by the cyberattack on Change Healthcare, which was disclosed on February 21. The attack, attributed to the “Blackcat” ransomware group, has had widespread repercussions across the U.S. healthcare system, disrupting electronic pharmacy refills and insurance transactions.
UnitedHealth has indicated that it aims to restore disrupted services for medical claims and payments platforms by mid-March.
