HHS Statement on Change Healthcare Cyberattack: In HIPAA-adjacent news, . . .
Unless you've been buried in a snowbank somewhere, you've probably heard that United Healthcare's technology/service/clearinghouse unit Change Healthcare suffered a cybersecurity incident that has severely affected its timely processing of data and claims. HHS has issued a statement, outlining that it is in contact with Change and has instructed MACs and other entities to try to assist those whose cash-flow has been adversely affected.
The key take-away from the entire Change fiasco is that the system is not so interconnected that an incident at a single point can nearly destroy the entire system. This is the proverb, "but for a nail, the kingdom was lost" brought to life. The fact that it comes on the heels of the pandemic, where we saw how that implementing efficiencies such as offshoring and just-in-time inventory may save money, but they add a great risk that widespread disruption could be caused by any type of problem.