Minnesota hospitals are facing financial challenges due to a recent cyberattack on a subsidiary of UnitedHealth Group, based in Minnetonka. Patient care and medication availability remain stable, but hospitals are unable to process claims for payment or estimate costs for patients due to ongoing system outages, according to the Minnesota Hospital Association.
Smaller mental health providers are particularly affected, as they cannot access alternative methods for claim submissions and fear they may struggle to meet payroll obligations soon.
To address the situation, the Hospital Association is calling for clear and immediate communication, potential advanced payments, financial support, and regulatory relief to mitigate the crisis's impact on the healthcare system.
UnitedHealth Group acknowledged the cyberattack on its Change Healthcare unit and announced a temporary funding assistance program to support healthcare providers facing short-term cash flow challenges.
The attack, attributed to the ALPHV/Blackcat cybercrime group, has disrupted systems at Change Healthcare, affecting claims processing not only for UnitedHealthcare but also for other insurers. Despite efforts to create workarounds, many providers are unable to submit claims, leading to financial strain.
Providers are concerned about accumulating balances and potential cash flow problems, especially as they are unable to determine patients' costs or access medication information due to the outage.
The outage is also affecting medical specialties beyond mental health, with practices unable to submit claims or receive guidance on when systems will be restored.
While patient care remains unaffected, hospitals are experiencing delays in billing and reimbursement processes, leading to financial burdens. The cyberattack exacerbates existing challenges in the healthcare system, further complicating payment reconciliation post-resolution.
