Washington DC
CNN
—
The U.S. government on Sunday asked insurance companies to prepay health care providers after a cyberattack disrupted insurance processing systems.
The cyber attack had a “significant impact” on Change Healthcare, a division of healthcare technology giant UnitedHealth Group, which processes 15 billion healthcare transactions annually. CNN previously reported that a cyberattack has left pharmacies and hospitals across the country unable to process prescription claims.
“We urge private sector leaders across the health care industry, and especially other payers, to seize this moment,” Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra and Acting Labor Secretary Julie Su said in the letter.
They specifically called on UnitedHealth Group to “ensure that our providers are not harmed by cash flow challenges” through faster provision of upfront payments and more frequent communication.
