Tag: Change Healthcare
In brief: Cyberattack update, PBM reform, Medicaid hearing
April 26, 2024HME News Staff
MINNEAPOLIS – Change Healthcare says it has made “strong progress” restoring services impacted by a cyberattack in February.
In the April 22 update, Change Healthcare said that medical claims across the U.S. health system are moving at near-normal levels, as systems come back online or providers switch to other methods of submission. The company said it realizes there are a small number of providers who continue to be adversely impacted and it is working with them to find...
Cyberattack: Change Healthcare provides status update
April 25, 2024HME News Staff
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. – Change Healthcare said in an update this week that it has made “strong progress” restoring services impacted by a cyberattack in February.
In the April 22 update, Change Healthcare said that medical claims across the U.S. health system are moving at near-normal levels, as systems come back online or providers switch to other methods of submission. The company said it realizes there are a small number of providers who continue to be adversely impacted...
Option Care reports double-digit growth
April 23, 2024HME News Staff
BANNOCKBURN, Ill. – Option Care Health reported revenue of $1.14 billion for the first quarter of 2024, an increase of 12.8% compared to the same quarter last year, despite the disruption caused by the Change Healthcare cyberattack in February.
“The Option Care Health team delivered solid financial results while navigating a disruptive environment,” said John Rademacher, CEO. “I am proud of the resilient enterprise we have built and the team's unwavering commitment...
CMS shares cyberattack resources
April 22, 2024HME News Staff
WASHINGTON – CMS has shared with AAHomecare a 35-page document with resources related to the Change Healthcare cyberattack. The document also contains contact information for United Health Group, AmeriHealth Caritas, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Centene, Cigna, CVS Health, Elevance Health, Humana, Kaiser Permanente and Molina Healthcare, along with other payers and subsidiaries. “CMS shared these resources with AAHomecare along with their response to our Mar. 13 letter requesting relief...
Change after Change
April 11, 2024Liz Beaulieu, Editor
When Change Healthcare acknowledged that it had been hacked by a “threat actor” named “BlackCat” and subsequently had to disconnect its systems, we were fairly certain it would be the subject of the cartoon and HME Newspoll for the April issue.
There were other ideas, of course – Theresa and I are nothing but a font of content, are we not? – including a poll on the impact on the HME industry of Dexcom’s plans to offer a continuous glucose monitoring...
Senator on cyberattack: ‘It was only a matter of time’
March 25, 2024HME News Staff
WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., a member of the Senate Finance Committee and-chairman of the Senate Cybersecurity Caucus, has introduced legislation that would allow for advance and accelerated payments to health care providers in the event of a cyber incident, as long as they and their vendors meet minimum cybersecurity standards.
“I’ve been sounding the alarm about cybersecurity in the health care sector for some time,” Warner said. “It was only...
HME industry under strain
March 22, 2024Theresa Flaherty, Managing Editor
WASHINGTON – Industry stakeholders have been reaching out to policymakers to highlight the “disastrous” impacts of the recent Change Healthcare cyberattack, which piled cash flow concerns on top of low reimbursement issues.
“This is a low margin industry and some of these smaller to mid-sized companies don’t have the balance sheet (to sustain themselves for very long) and they have tough choices to make,” said Tom Ryan, president & CEO of AAHomecare. “They’ve...
Cyberattack: Highmark launches assistance program
March 21, 2024HME News Staff
PITTSBURGH – Health insurer Highmark has launched an assistance program to provide funding advances for eligible participating providers who use Change Healthcare or one of its impacted companies and are experiencing cash flow concerns due to an inability to submit claims.
Eligibility for assistance and amount of assistance will be determined based on a variety of factors, including inability to use an alternate method to submit claims and current financial need.
“We...
In brief: Industry’s reimbursement uncertainty, MedPAC’s MA takedown, CMS’s Change flexibilities
March 20, 2024HME News Staff
WASHINGTON – Industry stakeholders are on the hunt for another vehicle for their legislation to extend the 75/25 blended Medicare reimbursement rate in non-rural areas through 2024.
AAHomecare reports that its lobbyists and HME advocates on the Hill have indicated that reimbursement relief will not be included in a second segment of appropriations language that must pass Congress by March 22 to prevent another government shutdown.
“We will continue to look for other...
CMS announces flexibilities for Medicaid
March 18, 2024HME News Staff
WASHINGTON – CMS has announced additional flexibilities to help state Medicaid programs provide needed relief to providers and protect access to health coverage after the cyberattack at Change Healthcare.
CMS is encouraging states to submit Medicaid state plan amendments (SPAs) for authority to make certain interim payments for services providers have rendered but for which the provider cannot submit claims. The agency has now released guidance on related flexibilities, including the...