Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
HHS Urged To Step In After Hack At Change Healthcare
The American Hospital Association and the American Medical Association, as well as Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) issued public letters calling for the Department of Health and Human Services to step in and address the ongoing disruption. They are pushing for HHS to make accelerated and advanced payments available from federal health programs. (Reed, 3/5)
The American Hospital Association slammed UnitedHealth Group's offer of financial assistance for some healthcare providers in the wake of the cyberattack on Change Healthcare and called on Congress for assistance. AHA President and CEO Richard Pollack said Change Healthcare parent company UnitedHealth Group's temporary loan program misses the mark in a letter sent Monday to UnitedHealth Group President and Chief Operating Officer Dirk McMahon. (Berryman, 3/4)
Bryan Health has received multiple reports of scammers reaching out to patients claiming to be representatives from hospitals across Nebraska and surrounding areas. Scammers are reportedly telling patients they’re entitled to a full refund if they provide them with a credit card number.
Lurie Children's Hospital said late Monday that it was making progress getting systems back online after a widespread hack at the end of January. Its internal health records and phone lines were back up as of Monday night, but the patient portal MyChart is still down. The hospital said teams are working around the clock to get everything restored. A cyberattack led the hospital to take its phone, email, and other systems offline on Jan. 31 – and has caused disruptions to its regular operations since then. (COatar, 3/4)