Dennis Dahlen: Of Blackcats and the dark web: The value of HFMA in times of crisis
The repercussions from the large-scale cyberattack perpetrated by ALPHV Blackcat on Change Healthcare — a company that touches one out of three patient records — likely will be felt for months, the American Hospital Association (AHA) suggests. That’s why it was so important that HFMA take a lead role in getting answers for members and…
The federal policy response to the Change Healthcare cyberattack
Note: This information is excerpted from HFMA’s running coverage of the cyberattack that disabled operations at Change Healthcare. On March 10, HHS and the Department of Labor sent a letter encouraging commercial payers to do their part to help financially strained providers nearly three weeks after the cyberattack on Change Healthcare. “Larger payers in particular…
How HFMA worked with members through the Change Healthcare cybersecurity breach
Change Healthcare, a healthcare technology company owned by UnitedHealth Group, disclosed on Feb. 21 that it had fallen victim to a cyberattack, causing disruptions to several of its systems and services. According to a statement released on its website on Feb. 22, around noon EST, UnitedHealth Group confirmed the incident, stating, “At this time, we…
Cyberattack on Change Healthcare brings turmoil to healthcare operations nationwide
This blog presents HFMA’s running coverage of the Change Healthcare cyberattack and its impact on providers and the healthcare industry. July 29 updates A recent HFMA news article examined both UnitedHealth Group’s latest quarterly financial report and lingering issues for providers amid the ongoing cyberattack recovery. Receiving electronic remittance advice files remains a problem with…
Cyberattack leaves hospitals scrambling in several states
A recent attack was the latest to illustrate the potential of cybercriminals to cause havoc across an interstate health system. The Los Angeles-based Prospect Medical Holdings system incurred a ransomware attack Aug. 3 that temporarily required some patients to be diverted from emergency departments and relegated hospitals to using paper records and incorporating other downtime…
Healthcare News of Note: The healthcare sector was targeted by nearly 24% of cyber-attack activity in 2022
When it comes to the number of malicious cybersecurity events targeting customers in the Americas, the healthcare industry is second, just behind finance. Contrary to its previously announced plans, the U.S. Department of Justice is not pursuing a further challenge to UnitedHealth Group’s purchase of Change Healthcare. The average pay for physicians decreased 2.4% in…
Healthcare News of Note: Healthcare cybersecurity professionals are unsure they have enough resources
Cybersecurity professionals in the healthcare space are among the least confident that their organizations have the resources needed to respond to cyber incidents during the next few years. The nationwide 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, which launched in July, saw call volumes increase in all states but two when comparing data from August 2022 to…
Shall we play a game?
Computer hackers have been around almost as long as computers themselves, but the risks to healthcare organizations are growing. On today's episode, we explore cybersecurity in hospitals and health systems--what information hackers want, what to do after a breach occurs, and how to avoid one in the first place.