Cyberattack: Highmark launches assistance program
By HME News Staff
Updated 10:15 AM CDT, Thu March 21, 2024
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 understand that some smaller physician practices and other providers who have been affected by this cyber event have not been able to submit claims and are facing financial hardships,” said Kate Musler, senior vice president of Health Plan Risk Management and Provider Networks. “This assistance program will help those providers get through this disruption and will also help ensure that our members can continue to access care and utilize the benefits they deserve.”
To apply for the assistance program, providers must submit a form located on Highmark’s provider portal. Providers who are approved for a funding advance must sign an agreement and the funding advance will be subject to the terms outlined in that agreement including repayment obligations.
Providers who use clearinghouses other than Change Healthcare or one of its impacted companies are not eligible for the assistance program.
Change Healthcare in late February reported it was hit with a cyberattack and disconnected its systems.
- Providers described the impact to their businesses in a recent HME Newspoll.
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