Medical providers remain in limbo as cyberattack impacts continue
By Estelle Timar-Wilcox for MPR News | April 12, 2024
UnitedHealth Group / Optum — which owns Change Healthcare — announced the attack on Feb. 21. It put providers and pharmacists nationwide in a bind. Change was a major hub in the insurance pipeline, processing about $1.5 trillion in claims per year. After the hack, the system went down. Existing claims stalled, and new claims would not go through.
“Everything just went dark,” Emily Benson said. “No income was coming in at all.”
Benson has been struggling to make rent and payroll. She had to request leniency on her rent in February and is considering taking out a home equity loan to close the gap.
“It’s pretty dire…I know I’m not alone.”
Clinicians across the country say they are facing similar shortfalls.
“I’m hoping this creates a bigger conversation,” Hansen said. “I would like us to really take a big look at conglomerate health care systems, and what that impact is on patient care.”
-Dr. Rachelle Hansen owns Stepping Stone Clinic, a psychology practice in Richfield with about 40 employees. About one month after the cyberattack, her clinic’s revenue had dropped about 70 percent because of UnitedHealth Group’s failure to support clinics.
Read the full feature here. The broadcast segment will air later today on MPR News between 4p-6p CT.
UnitedHealth Group CEO Andrew Witty is scheduled ot testify on The Hill April 30th to defend his company’s tactics and practices.