sissy
@sngy.bsky.social
tl;dr: the Change HealthCare outage is bad for everyone and you should care more. call your reps. email them.
raise hell. /23
raise hell. /23
March 3, 2024 at 3:55 PM
tl;dr: the Change HealthCare outage is bad for everyone and you should care more. call your reps. email them.
raise hell. /23
raise hell. /23
PHI includes things like SSN, home address, phone number, your name, your email, your driver’s license number, etc. /22
March 3, 2024 at 3:55 PM
PHI includes things like SSN, home address, phone number, your name, your email, your driver’s license number, etc. /22
When running, Change Healthcare processes 15 billion transactions a year. It’s estimated that 1 in 3 US person’s PHI passes through Change HealthCare. This is a MASSIVE breach of personal security for the average US person. /21
March 3, 2024 at 3:54 PM
When running, Change Healthcare processes 15 billion transactions a year. It’s estimated that 1 in 3 US person’s PHI passes through Change HealthCare. This is a MASSIVE breach of personal security for the average US person. /21
It gets better: remember the group I mentioned, Blackcat/ALPHV? And the PHI that passes through the clearinghouse? It’s possible they have 6 TB of PHI. 20/
www.theregister.com/AMP/2024/02/...
www.theregister.com/AMP/2024/02/...
ALPHV/BlackCat claims responsibility for Change Healthcare attack
Brags it lifted 6TB of data, but let's remember these people are criminals and not worthy of much trust
www.theregister.com
March 3, 2024 at 3:54 PM
It gets better: remember the group I mentioned, Blackcat/ALPHV? And the PHI that passes through the clearinghouse? It’s possible they have 6 TB of PHI. 20/
www.theregister.com/AMP/2024/02/...
www.theregister.com/AMP/2024/02/...
. . . which is pennies on the dollar for many providers, and not nearly enough to keep any practice afloat for 8-10 weeks, even once Change HealthCare is back up and running. 19/
March 3, 2024 at 3:54 PM
. . . which is pennies on the dollar for many providers, and not nearly enough to keep any practice afloat for 8-10 weeks, even once Change HealthCare is back up and running. 19/
But don’t worry! United Health Group has a solution. They also own Optum, which is willing to give providers loans based on the claims they paid out through OptumPay at this time last year! 18/
March 3, 2024 at 3:54 PM
But don’t worry! United Health Group has a solution. They also own Optum, which is willing to give providers loans based on the claims they paid out through OptumPay at this time last year! 18/
Should these practices go under, it will create a patient care crisis. There are long wait times and not enough practitioners as it is; this would only make it worse. 17/
March 3, 2024 at 3:54 PM
Should these practices go under, it will create a patient care crisis. There are long wait times and not enough practitioners as it is; this would only make it worse. 17/
In those 4-6 weeks, if no payments can go in or out through Change HealthCare, small practices and solo practices can and likely will fail if they aren’t supported. Many operate on razor thin margins: this is a death sentence. 16/
March 3, 2024 at 3:53 PM
In those 4-6 weeks, if no payments can go in or out through Change HealthCare, small practices and solo practices can and likely will fail if they aren’t supported. Many operate on razor thin margins: this is a death sentence. 16/
Current projected downtime for Change HealthCare is 4-6 weeks, based on this article: 15/
www.statnews.com/2024/02/29/c...
www.statnews.com/2024/02/29/c...
Change Healthcare cyberattack outage could persist for weeks, UnitedHealth Group executive suggests
Change Healthcare cyberattack outage could persist for weeks, UnitedHealth Group executive suggests.
www.statnews.com
March 3, 2024 at 3:53 PM
Current projected downtime for Change HealthCare is 4-6 weeks, based on this article: 15/
www.statnews.com/2024/02/29/c...
www.statnews.com/2024/02/29/c...
For visits that have happened since February 21st, payment may not be seen, especially for those insurances that solely use CHC, for 8-10 weeks at a minimum. 14/
March 3, 2024 at 3:53 PM
For visits that have happened since February 21st, payment may not be seen, especially for those insurances that solely use CHC, for 8-10 weeks at a minimum. 14/
In the healthcare world, one week is actually two or three weeks: a visit occurs, a claim goes out, is processed, then payment is remitted. 13/
March 3, 2024 at 3:53 PM
In the healthcare world, one week is actually two or three weeks: a visit occurs, a claim goes out, is processed, then payment is remitted. 13/
Further, some insurance companies that accepted paper claims before this may not be accepting paper claims now because they were using Change HealthCare to process the paper claims as well. 12/
March 3, 2024 at 3:52 PM
Further, some insurance companies that accepted paper claims before this may not be accepting paper claims now because they were using Change HealthCare to process the paper claims as well. 12/
Many have either found a new clearinghouse by now, or have been using work arounds: paper claims and provider portals. However, there are some insurance companies that do not accept paper claims, do not have provider portals that accept claim information, or both. 11/
March 3, 2024 at 3:52 PM
Many have either found a new clearinghouse by now, or have been using work arounds: paper claims and provider portals. However, there are some insurance companies that do not accept paper claims, do not have provider portals that accept claim information, or both. 11/
Since Change HealthCare went offline on February 21st, pharmacies, hospitals, private practices, clinics, dental offices, and mental health providers who use Change HealthCare as a clearing house haven’t been able to get claims out through Change HealthCare. 10/
March 3, 2024 at 3:52 PM
Since Change HealthCare went offline on February 21st, pharmacies, hospitals, private practices, clinics, dental offices, and mental health providers who use Change HealthCare as a clearing house haven’t been able to get claims out through Change HealthCare. 10/
This does not fix the billing issue. 9/
March 3, 2024 at 3:52 PM
This does not fix the billing issue. 9/
As of Friday, UHC and Change HealthCare rolled out a new ePrescribe system, nine days after they took their original one offline, as they know patients can’t go without medication. ePrescribe allows doctors to send RXs to pharmacies without faxes or writing paper RXs 8/
March 3, 2024 at 3:52 PM
As of Friday, UHC and Change HealthCare rolled out a new ePrescribe system, nine days after they took their original one offline, as they know patients can’t go without medication. ePrescribe allows doctors to send RXs to pharmacies without faxes or writing paper RXs 8/
A majority of pharmacies found workarounds quickly: they went back to the methods they used pre-EDI, faxing prescriptions with some jumping clearinghouses for billing and insurance verification when it became clear this wouldn’t be resolved overnight. 7/
March 3, 2024 at 3:51 PM
A majority of pharmacies found workarounds quickly: they went back to the methods they used pre-EDI, faxing prescriptions with some jumping clearinghouses for billing and insurance verification when it became clear this wouldn’t be resolved overnight. 7/
Patients either had to pay full price (hundreds or a thousand plus dollars for a single RX), or were told to come back “when the problem was fixed in a few days.” Obviously, some of us can’t wait for our meds and had to fork out the money, which is not reimbursable. 6/
March 3, 2024 at 3:51 PM
Patients either had to pay full price (hundreds or a thousand plus dollars for a single RX), or were told to come back “when the problem was fixed in a few days.” Obviously, some of us can’t wait for our meds and had to fork out the money, which is not reimbursable. 6/
The obvious, public facing result was this: patients couldn’t be billed properly for their medications at pharmacies. Copays and coinsurances couldn’t be seen, and prescriptions weren’t being received over the Change HealthCare interface. 5/
March 3, 2024 at 3:51 PM
The obvious, public facing result was this: patients couldn’t be billed properly for their medications at pharmacies. Copays and coinsurances couldn’t be seen, and prescriptions weren’t being received over the Change HealthCare interface. 5/
On February 21st, Change HealthCare, a subsidiary of Optum and United Health Group, was taken completely offline due to what the public later discovered was a ransomware attack by the group Blackcat/ALPHV. 4/
www.reuters.com/technology/c...
www.reuters.com/technology/c...
Cybersecurity outage at UnitedHealth's Change unit extends for sixth straight day
Cybersecurity outage at UnitedHealth's technology unit Change Healthcare entered a sixth day and is expected to last at least through Monday, according to the latest update on its status page.
www.reuters.com
March 3, 2024 at 3:51 PM
On February 21st, Change HealthCare, a subsidiary of Optum and United Health Group, was taken completely offline due to what the public later discovered was a ransomware attack by the group Blackcat/ALPHV. 4/
www.reuters.com/technology/c...
www.reuters.com/technology/c...
Change HealthCare is a medical clearing house, which means PHI, or protected health information, passes through it. Medical professionals use CHC to “trade” PHI with insurance companies to check insurance, submit claims for payment, and send prescriptions to pharmacies. 3/
March 3, 2024 at 3:50 PM
Change HealthCare is a medical clearing house, which means PHI, or protected health information, passes through it. Medical professionals use CHC to “trade” PHI with insurance companies to check insurance, submit claims for payment, and send prescriptions to pharmacies. 3/
First, some background: UHG acquired Change HealthCare in 2022. 2/
March 3, 2024 at 3:50 PM
First, some background: UHG acquired Change HealthCare in 2022. 2/