Tag: Cyberattack
In brief: UHC delays Synapse agreement, NCPA files cyberattack lawsuit & more
July 24, 2024HME News Staff
MINNEAPOLIS – UnitedHealthcare recently notified HME providers that it is delaying the implementation of its new capitated arrangement with Synapse Health for standard DME in Georgia and North Carolina, AAHomecare has reported.
The arrangement, which impacts the insurer’s Medicare Advantage plan members enrolled in HMO and PPO plans in the two states, will now go into effect Sept. 1 instead of Aug. 1 to allow more time for providers to familiarize themselves with new processes...
NCPA, providers sue UnitedHealth Group over cyberattack
July 22, 2024HME News Staff
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – The National Community Pharmacists Association, along with dozens of providers from multiple states, filed a class action lawsuit July 19 against UnitedHealth Group and its subsidiaries Change Healthcare and Optum for losses resulting from their massive cyberattack earlier this year.
NCPA and the providers say Change Healthcare failed to take reasonable precautions against a catastrophic breach; mislead them about its network security; and caused massive financial...
Newspoll: When it comes to revenue, many providers seeing red
June 21, 2024Theresa Flaherty, Managing Editor
YARMOUTH, Maine – June marks the midpoint of the calendar year and so far, it’s been a financial disappointment, say 65% of respondents to a recent HME Newspoll.
“2024 has been a challenging year,” wrote one poll respondent. “Despite our growth in volume and workforce, we have encountered significant obstacles. We have faced difficulties in contracting, with closed insurance panels, struggled with low reimbursement rates, and dealt with high equipment costs.”
Reimbursement...
CMS sets July end date for CHOPD program
June 18, 2024HME News Staff
WASHINGTON – CMS has announced that payments under the Accelerated and Advance Payment (AAP) Program for the Change Healthcare/Optum Payment Disruption (CHOPD) will conclude on July 12, 2024.
Launched in early March, the CHOPD payments were designed to ease cash flow disruptions experienced by some Medicare providers and suppliers, such as hospitals, physicians and pharmacists, due to the unprecedented cyberattack that took health care electronic data interchange Change Healthcare...
In brief: Numotion incident, EnsoData & Aeroflow partnership, Golden contract
May 22, 2024HME News Staff
BRENTWOOD, Tenn. – Numotion says a forensic investigation has determined that an unknown, unauthorized third party accessed its computer systems between Feb. 29 and March 2, 2024, and may have accessed certain files, including those with protected health information.
The information may have included names, dates of birth, equipment order details, supporting medical documentation, medical insurance information and, for a smaller subset of individuals, driver’s license numbers...
Numotion reports data privacy incident
May 21, 2024HME News Staff
BRENTWOOD, Tenn. – Numotion says a forensic investigation has determined that an unknown, unauthorized third party accessed its computer systems between Feb. 29 and March 2, 2024, and may have accessed certain files, including those with protected health information.
The information may have included names, dates of birth, equipment order details, supporting medical documentation, medical insurance information and, for a smaller subset of individuals, driver’s license numbers...
Ascension Healthcare assesses impact of cyberattack
May 13, 2024HME News Staff
ST. LOUIS – Ascension Healthcare has announced it detected unusual activity on select technology systems on May 8 and now believes it is due to a cybersecurity event.
The large health system says it has engaged Mandiant, a third-party expert, to assist in the investigation and remediation process, and it has notified the appropriate authorities.
“We responded immediately, initiated our investigation and activated our remediation efforts,” a spokesperson said. “Access...
Ryan Wood on the ‘automation race’ in cybersecurity
May 10, 2024Liz Beaulieu, Editor
WATERLOO, Iowa – Ryan Wood, VGM Group’s new chief information security officer, believes health care companies, as a general rule, need to “assume compromise” in the wake of the Change Healthcare cyberattack.
“Without knowing the specifics of the Change Healthcare cyberattack, I think we should be leaning on building our cyber program and infrastructure for resilience, rather than being focused on backup and recovery,” said Wood, a recent guest on the...
NCPA seeks pause on audits, ahead of cyberattack hearing
May 1, 2024HME News Staff
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Independent pharmacies that are still experiencing operational and financial disruptions related to the Change Healthcare cyberattack have made several asks to Congress as part of two separate congressional hearings today.
In statements for the record, members of the National Community Pharmacists Associations are urging Congress to:
Direct plans and pharmacy benefit managers to pause audits;
Make pharmacies whole for dispensing...
Option Care details impact of cyberattack
April 26, 2024Theresa Flaherty, Managing Editor
BANNOCKBURN, Ill. – Option Care Health’s cash flow during the first quarter was negatively impacted by the Change Healthcare cyberattack, but the company has not changed its outlook for the full year, executives said on a recent earnings call.
From the date of the cyberattack on February 21 through the rest of the quarter, Option Care was unable to submit more than half its claims, said John Rademacher, president and CEO.
“This has resulted in a detrimental...