Since Optum's Change Healthcare first reported a cyber attack believed to be from a suspected nation-state on Feb 21, there have been 48 updates addressing the issue. The attack has severely impacted their payment processing capabilities.
Despite multiple updates assuring that the cybersecurity incident has not affected Optum, UnitedHealthcare, or UnitedHealth Group systems, Tampa General Hospital CEO John Couris remains dissatisfied.
The hospital relies on Change Healthcare as a clearinghouse for processing claims with payers.While sympathetic to the situation, Couris expressed concern to Optum CEO Amar Desai at a conference in Los Angeles, seeking more information about when services would be restored. Couris emphasized the significant industry-wide impact of the breach, affecting military and retail pharmacies globally.
Speculating on the severity of the breach, Couris suggested that Change Healthcare's systems may have been compromised, leading to data encryption and potential ransom demands. Despite the challenges, he believes that Change Healthcare will not pay the ransom and will instead rebuild its systems, causing financial strain for customers like Tampa General Hospital.Switching vendors is not a feasible option for the hospital due to the time and disruption it would cause.
Couris admitted that even if they considered changing providers, many potential alternatives also rely on Change Healthcare indirectly. The CEO emphasized the complexity of the attack and its significant implications for healthcare organizations."This wasn't a little hack," Couris remarked, highlighting the severity and complexity of the cyber attack.
English (US)