A survey conducted by the American Hospital Association (AHA) from March 9-12, 2024, found that among the 1,000 hospitals responding, 94% say they are experiencing financial impact related to the Change Healthcare cyberattack that was first discovered on February 21. According to AHA, more than half of the surveyed hospitals say they are facing “significant or serious” impact. Additionally, more than 80% of hospitals say the cyberattack has affected their cash flow, and 74% of hospitals report direct impact to patient care. According to a press release, Change Healthcare’s parent company, UnitedHealth Group, has paid out more than $2 billion in advanced payments to offset financial impact for providers. Even so, the technological, logistical, and financial recovery process still has a long way to go.
Don’t forget about urgent care: The Urgent Care Association (UCA) is one of the key industry groups urging the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to make advanced payments available immediately to providers affected by the Change Healthcare cyberattack. UCA also sent a separate letter to UnitedHealth Group leadership to request that urgent care is included as a stakeholder in any dialogue and solutions up for consideration.
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