Washington Acts to Strengthen Health Care Cybersecurity Following Change Healthcare Attack.

After a recent cyberattack on Change Healthcare, which resulted in a halt of payments to pharmacies and hospitals, policymakers and lobbyists have been working together to develop strategies to prevent future attacks. These strategies include tying federal aid to cybersecurity requirements and creating new voluntary standards through public-private partnerships.

The incident highlighted the vulnerabilities in just one company’s technology infrastructure that many health care providers and insurers rely on daily. In response, federal regulators have faced criticism for not being adequately prepared and not acting quickly enough. Some lawmakers are calling for mandatory cybersecurity standards in the health care industry, including regular audits.

Washington is taking action to address the technology underpinning health care following this cyberattack on a health care payments processing company. The attack could have significant effects on hospitals and IT vendors who provide essential services to the industry. Policymakers and lobbyists are working together to develop strategies to prevent future attacks, including tying federal aid to cybersecurity requirements and creating new voluntary standards through public-private partnerships. The incident has also highlighted the need for mandatory cybersecurity standards in the health care industry, including regular audits, as some lawmakers have called for.