Nation’s pharmacies face cybersecurity incident causing widespread impact and concern

TLDR:

• Pharmacies in the U.S. are having difficulty billing insurance for prescriptions after a cybersecurity incident at a major health care technology company.
• Change Healthcare is experiencing a cyber security issue causing disruptions in insurance billing for prescriptions.

Pharmacies across the U.S. are struggling to bill insurance for prescriptions following a cybersecurity incident at a major health care technology company, Change Healthcare. The company released statements informing customers of the issue and efforts to address it. The incident has prompted the American Hospital Association to issue a warning and recommendations to health care organizations affected by the disruption. While prescriptions are still being processed, some issues with billing insurance have arisen, prompting pharmacies to communicate with customers about potential delays.

Full Article:

Pharmacies across the U.S. are having difficulty billing insurance for some prescriptions after a cybersecurity incident at a major health care technology company, Change Healthcare. The company released multiple statements informing customers of the issue and stating that their experts are working to address the matter. The disruption is expected to last at least through the day.

The American Hospital Association issued an advisory in response to the incident, recommending that health care organizations consider disconnecting from Optum until it is deemed safe to reconnect. This incident is specific to Change Healthcare, and all other systems across UnitedHealth Group remain operational.

While prescriptions are still being processed across the U.S., some pharmacies are experiencing issues with billing insurance for prescriptions. Michigan-based Canadian Lakes Pharmacy, for example, posted on Facebook urging customers to be patient and understanding of potential delays in insurance billing.

The incident highlights the growing concern of cyber attacks on critical infrastructure such as health care systems. It also serves as a reminder of the importance of cybersecurity measures and contingency planning in the face of such disruptions.