With its ownership of pharmacies, home health agencies, and subsidiaries like Change Healthcare, which processes a large percentage of the country’s medical claims, UnitedHealthcare is one of the nation’s largest insurers and employers of physicians. The company plays a crucial role in healthcare information management. However, in February 2018, a cyberattack on Change Healthcare led to what is being described as the largest cyberattack in American health care history.
The attack had far-reaching consequences, freezing health payments and compromising patient information, causing disruption and chaos in healthcare facilities across the nation. The full extent of the impact is still unknown, and efforts to resolve the breach are ongoing. The fallout from the cyberattack prompted UnitedHealth Group’s CEO, Andrew Witty, to testify before Congress for the first time in over 15 years. Lawmakers questioned Witty on the lack of basic security safeguards and raised concerns about the company’s size and influence in the healthcare industry.
The incident has sparked broader discussions about the functioning of the U.S. healthcare system and the role of large corporations within it. It has also brought attention to the vulnerabilities in the healthcare system and highlighted the importance of robust cybersecurity measures. The effects of the cyberattack serve as a reminder that interconnectedness makes healthcare services more vulnerable to attacks and underscored that enhanced security protocols are needed to protect patient information and ensure smooth operations within this industry.
