UnitedHealth Group's subsidiary, Change Healthcare, is anticipated to provide a significant update possibly by Tuesday, following a severe ransomware attack that has persisted for five consecutive days, causing disruptions in healthcare services nationwide.
Change Healthcare plays a pivotal role in handling claims and payments for various healthcare entities, including hospitals and pharmacies.
Dr. Amar Desai, CEO of Optum Health, a division of UnitedHealthcare, stated that the company is actively addressing the issue. Desai, along with other Optum executives, has been in constant communication with affected companies' top executives, particularly those in charge of security, information, and technology.
Desai emphasized the importance of robust communication channels among stakeholders during such incidents to ensure a coordinated response. He made these remarks during the Vive healthcare conference in Los Angeles, where he was part of a panel discussion alongside Huntington Health CEO Dr. Lori Morgan, moderated by Yahoo Finance.
UnitedHealth initially reported the cyberattack to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on Thursday, revealing that the attack commenced on February 21. The filing indicated that the company was suspected of involvement of a nation-state-linked cyber threat actor.
According to Optum, the perpetrator behind the attack has been identified as Blackcat, a ransomware group with Russian sponsorship. Despite the FBI's efforts to dismantle Blackcat late last year, the group has persisted in its malicious activities, targeting healthcare entities and government agencies.
In response to the ongoing threat, the American Hospital Association (AHA) advised healthcare systems to disconnect from Change Healthcare and develop contingency plans should the attack prolong.
As of the latest update on Monday, Change Healthcare stated that it promptly disconnected its systems upon detecting the threat. Notably, Optum, UnitedHealthcare, and UnitedHealth Group systems remain unaffected.
Change Healthcare reiterated its commitment not to compromise on security measures during the recovery process, emphasizing a proactive approach to addressing any potential issues promptly.
The full extent of the impact on Change Healthcare's partners remains unclear, and it may take some time before a comprehensive assessment is possible.