On Tuesday, White House officials convened with executives from the healthcare sector, including UnitedHealth Group CEO Andrew Witty, to address the repercussions of a significant cyberattack on UnitedHealth’s technological division.
This attack has notably impacted operations across the U.S. healthcare system.
This gathering marked a precedent in bringing together healthcare providers and insurers to discuss the incident, a move highlighted by a Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) spokesperson.
The spokesperson elaborated that since the cyberattack, daily meetings with stakeholders have been conducted to navigate the crisis.
However, attempts to reach UnitedHealth for comments were met without immediate response. In the wake of the cyberattack, health insurance entities have been actively working to mitigate the impact on healthcare providers.
America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP), a key industry representative, announced that efforts are underway to enable healthcare providers to continue submitting claims and receiving payments.
AHIP CEO Mike Tuffin also mentioned the establishment of alternative payment mechanisms to support the continuity of healthcare services.
The cyberattack, carried out by the so-called “Blackcat” ransomware group, targeted UnitedHealth’s Change Healthcare, a crucial technology unit operating as a financial intermediary for pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs).
PBMs play a critical role in the healthcare ecosystem by managing prescription drug coverage and reimbursement.
Change Healthcare is instrumental in processing approximately half of the medical claims in the U.S., serving a vast network that includes around 900,000 physicians, 33,000 pharmacies, 5,500 hospitals, and 600 laboratories.
In response to the disruption, officials from both the U.S. Department of Labor and HHS have publicly urged UnitedHealth to accelerate payments to healthcare providers affected by the cyberattack.
This plea was spotlighted by a report from The Washington Post, which revealed that White House officials have also pressured UnitedHealth to allocate more emergency funds to support healthcare providers grappling with the fallout from the cyberattack.