Cyberattack on Change Healthcare causes nationwide pharmacy disruptions

Feb 23

Simone Del Rosario Anchor

By Simone Del Rosario (Anchor), William Jackson (Producer), Ian Kennedy (Video Editor)

Bias Distribution Powered by Ground News™

Pharmacies across the United States are grappling with disruptions due to an ongoing cyberattack targeting Change Healthcare — a subsidiary of UnitedHealth Group and one of the nation’s largest commercial prescription processors. The attack has hindered pharmacies’ ability to process prescriptions for patients.

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UnitedHealth has attributed the cyberattack to suspected government-backed hackers, although the company has not disclosed the suspected nation. In response to the attack, UnitedHealth took its online systems offline to safeguard patient information, and it claims to have contained the impact.

Change Healthcare Cyberattack Disrupts Services Nationwide—Here’s What To Knowhttps://t.co/JwAq1BDYbl pic.twitter.com/xveXR0wDgq
— Forbes (@Forbes) February 23, 2024

“The company is working diligently to restore those systems and resume normal operations as soon as possible, but cannot estimate the duration or extent of the disruption at this time,” UnitedHealth Group Inc. stated in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

In addition to some retail pharmacies such as CVS and Walgreens, the cyberattack is also affecting military clinics and hospitals worldwide.

Straight Arrow News confirmed that online prescription services at three major Veterans Affairs medical centers and the 55th Medical Group at Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska remain disrupted.

A recent cyberattack on Change Healthcare has impacted military pharmacies worldwide and some retail pharmacies nationally.

You can contact your military hospital and clinic or retail pharmacy for the latest local updates.

Learn more at: https://t.co/RE6JFHQoio pic.twitter.com/lGgJ3ZrgCb
— TRICARE (@TRICARE) February 22, 2024

To mitigate the impact, the Defense Health Agency (DHA) has indicated that affected clinics and hospitals will manually process outpatient prescriptions until the issue is resolved.

The American Hospital Association (AHA) is advising health care providers to disconnect from Change Healthcare and to examine their own systems for any signs of the attack. The AHA is coordinating with the FBI, the Department of Health and Human Services, and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency in response to the situation.

The outages have led to prescription delays for patients at affected retail pharmacies. TRICARE, the health program for military personnel, is prioritizing urgent prescriptions at its pharmacies to address the issue.

Tags: Cyber attack, cyber crimes, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, Pharmaceutical, Securities and Exchange Commission, U.S. military, Veterans Affairs

[SIMONE DEL ROSARIO]

PHARMACIES ARE ON THE FRITZ ACROSS THE COUNTRY BECAUSE OF AN ONGOING CYBERATTACK AGAINST A BRANCH OF UNITEDHEALTH GROUP.

THE TARGET IS CHANGE HEALTHCARE, ONE OF THE NATION’S LARGEST COMMERCIAL PRESCRIPTION PROCESSORS. THE ATTACK IS KEEPING PHARMACIES FROM BEING ABLE TO PROCESS PRESCRIPTIONS FOR PATIENTS.

UNITEDHEALTH IS BLAMING THE ATTACK ON SUSPECTED GOVERNMENT-BACKED HACKERS, BUT HASN’T SAID WHICH COUNTRY. THE COMPANY SAYS THEY’VE DISCONNECTED ONLINE SYSTEMS TO PROTECT PATIENT INFORMATION AND BELIEVE THEY’VE ISOLATED THE IMPACT.

IN AN SEC FILING, UNITEDHEALTH REPORTS:

UNITEDHEALTH GROUP INCORPORATED

“The company is working diligently to restore those systems and resume normal operations as soon as possible, but cannot estimate the duration or extent of the disruption at this time.”

[SIMONE DEL ROSARIO]

THE DEFENSE HEALTH AGENCY REVEALED THAT THIS ATTACK IS AFFECTING MILITARY CLINICS AND HOSPITALS WORLDWIDE, ALONG WITH SOME RETAIL PHARMACIES LIKE CVS AND WALGREENS.

STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS – A TRUSTED SOURCE FOR UNBIASED REPORTING – HAS VERIFIED WITH THREE MAJOR VA MEDICAL CENTERS AND THE 55TH MEDICAL GROUP AT OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE IN NEBRASKA — THAT ONLINE PRESCRIPTION SERVICES ARE STILL UNAVAILABLE.

HOWEVER, THE DHA SAYS THESE CLINICS AND HOSPITALS WILL MANUALLY PROCESS OUTPATIENT PRESCRIPTIONS UNTIL THE ISSUE IS RESOLVED.

MEANWHILE, THE AMERICAN HOSPITAL ASSOCIATION IS URGING HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS TO DISCONNECT FROM CHANGE HEALTHCARE AND CHECK THEIR OWN SYSTEMS FOR IMPACT. AHA SAYS IT’S WORKING WITH THE FBI, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, AND THE CYBERSECURITY AND INFRASTRUCTURE SECURITY AGENCY.

DUE TO THE OUTAGES, PATIENTS OF AFFECTED RETAIL PHARMACIES ARE FACING PRESCRIPTION DELAYS. TRICARE, THE MILITARY’S HEALTH PROGRAM, HAS COMMITTED TO PRIORITIZING URGENT PRESCRIPTIONS AT ITS PHARMACIES.