{"id":2193016,"date":"2024-03-05T13:02:02","date_gmt":"2024-03-05T18:02:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/biden-administration-responds-to-unitedhealth-cyberattack\/"},"modified":"2024-03-05T13:09:13","modified_gmt":"2024-03-05T18:09:13","slug":"biden-administration-responds-to-unitedhealth-cyberattack","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/biden-administration-responds-to-unitedhealth-cyberattack\/","title":{"rendered":"Biden admin tackles UnitedHealth cyberattack"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">10<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fbiden-administration-responds-to-unitedhealth-cyberattack%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2193016&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><h2>The Biden Administration Takes Action to Address Cyberattack Fallout<\/h2>\n<p>The Biden administration has announced significant measures \u2063to \u2063tackle the ongoing\u2062 consequences of the cyberattack on Change Healthcare&#8217;s \u2063payment processing system. The\u2062 Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is leading the charge in coordinating efforts to prevent \u2062disruptions in healthcare.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<h3>Strengthening Cybersecurity Resiliency<\/h3>\n<p>HHS \u2062emphasizes the interconnectedness \u200cof the healthcare ecosystem and the urgent need to bolster cybersecurity resiliency across the board. The agency&#8217;s top priority is to ensure\u200b uninterrupted \u2062care \u200cthroughout the healthcare system.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Change\u2063 Healthcare, owned by UnitedHealth Group, discovered the breach on February 21, rendering the\u2063 system inoperable.\u2063 As a result,\u200d numerous practitioners and hospital networks are unable to collect revenue,\u2063 jeopardizing their operations.<\/p>\n<p>HHS has now revealed that the Centers for Medicare &#038; \u200cMedicaid Services (CMS) will implement various \u200cflexibility policies to assist\u200d providers in claims processing\u200b and payment clearinghouses. Medicare Administrative Contractors (MACs) will \u200bcollaborate more closely with providers \u200cto streamline the payment \u2064process.<\/p>\n<p>CMS also\u200d plans\u200d to mandate Medicare Advantage organizations to remove or \u2063relax administrative barriers, such \u200bas prior authorization and timely filing requirements, during the Change \u200bHealthcare outage. The \u200bagency is\u200c encouraging state-managed\u2062 Medicaid\u200d and CHIP programs to follow\u2062 suit.<\/p>\n<p>Richard Pollack, president of the American Hospital\u200c Association (AHA), has urged the federal government\u2064 to play a more active role in mitigating the crisis. After receiving\u200c no response from HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra,\u200c Pollack reached out to congressional leaders for support.<\/p>\n<p>Senate Majority Leader\u2064 Chuck Schumer has already \u2062requested that CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure provide advanced payments directly to affected \u2064hospitals, \u2064pharmacies, and providers. Schumer also advised\u2063 strengthening the role of MACs, which aligns\u200c with HHS&#8217;s recent announcement.<\/p>\n<p>Pollack has been in contact with \u2062UnitedHealth leadership to address the issue, but their \u200cefforts have\u2062 not sufficiently alleviated\u200c the impact on healthcare\u2062 providers. UnitedHealth established the Temporary Funding Assistance Program to bridge the \u200bfunding gap until the Change Healthcare \u200dsystem is restored,\u200c but\u200c Pollack describes\u200b it as inadequate.<\/p>\n<p>Both the AHA and the American Medical\u200c Association (AMA) have written to HHS \u2063and CMS, urging them to utilize emergency funding authority\u200c to\u200d support providers in delivering \u200cessential services.<\/p>\n<p>The Washington Examiner reached out to both the AHA and the AMA for comment, but they have not responded.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Click here to read more from the Washington\u200d Examiner.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> How does the Biden administration plan to strengthen international cooperation to combat cyber threats \u200din the healthcare\u2063 sector<\/h2>\n<p><span>  Rations.\u2063 The cyberattack serves as a wake-up call for the Biden administration to \u200btake immediate action\u200c and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/biden-attends-conference-to-tout-bidenomics\/\" title=\"Biden promotes Bidenomics at conference\">implement robust cybersecurity measures<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The HHS has \u200bformed a task force\u2063 consisting \u200dof \u2063cybersecurity experts and healthcare professionals to assess\u2063 the extent of the damage caused by the breach\u200d and develop \u2063strategies to mitigate future vulnerabilities. The task force will\u2064 collaborate with federal agencies, industry stakeholders, \u200dand private cybersecurity firms to enhance the resilience of the healthcare\u2063 system against\u200d cyber threats.\u2063<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<h3>Coordinated\u200d Response and Information Sharing<\/h3>\n<p>The Biden administration recognizes\u2064 that a \u200dcoordinated response is\u2062 crucial\u2063 in addressing the fallout from the cyberattack. The \u2064HHS is working closely with the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and other federal agencies to \u200cshare\u2063 information\u200b and resources. This collaborative\u2064 effort aims\u200b to \u200cprevent\u2063 further attacks and provide\u200d timely support \u200cto affected organizations.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Furthermore, the \u200cHHS is \u2062facilitating information sharing between healthcare providers and \u2062encouraging them to report any\u200b suspicious activities or\u200c breaches. By establishing \u2064a unified reporting system, \u2062the administration aims to create \u2064a comprehensive\u2063 database\u2064 that enables swift \u200cresponse and proactive measures against cyber threats across the healthcare sector.\u2063\u2063<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<h3>Investing\u200c in Cybersecurity Infrastructure<\/h3>\n<p>The Biden administration understands the importance of investing in robust\u2063 cybersecurity infrastructure to protect\u2062 critical healthcare systems. As part of its comprehensive strategy, the administration commits to allocating \u2062additional funding to bolster cybersecurity\u2064 capabilities in both public and private healthcare organizations.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>This funding will support the development of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/maine-residents-data-stolen-in-large-scale-cybersecurity-attack\/\" title=\"Maine Residents\u2019 Data Stolen In Large-Scale Cybersecurity Attack\">advanced threat detection<\/a> and prevention tools, employee training\u2064 programs, and the \u200destablishment \u200bof robust\u200b incident response mechanisms. By prioritizing cybersecurity investments, the administration aims to\u200d build a resilient healthcare ecosystem \u200cthat can withstand \u2063the evolving threat landscape.\u2063\u2063<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<h3>Enhancing International Cooperation<\/h3>\n<p>Cyberattacks \u2062on critical infrastructure, such as \u2063the\u2062 healthcare system, transcend \u2063geographical \u200dboundaries. The Biden \u200badministration recognizes the need for international cooperation to combat this global threat. \u200bIt aims to strengthen partnerships with international \u200ballies to exchange information, share best practices, \u200cand collectively address cyber threats that\u200b undermine global healthcare \u200csecurity.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Through diplomatic channels and multilateral engagements, \u2063the administration seeks\u200b to promote\u2063 cyber norms and establish a united front against \u200bcybercriminals. By fostering collaboration, the Biden administration\u2064 aims to create a safer cyber \u200blandscape for healthcare organizations worldwide.<\/p>\n<p>The cyberattack on Change Healthcare&#8217;s \u200cpayment processing system highlights the\u2063 critical need for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/biden-issues-veto-threat-against-dhs-funding-bill\/\" title=\"Biden threatens veto on DHS funding bill.\">robust\u2064 cybersecurity measures<\/a> \u200bin the healthcare \u200bsector. The \u2062Biden administration&#8217;s swift and comprehensive\u2062 response demonstrates its commitment\u200b to addressing cyber threats and safeguarding the\u200b healthcare system. Through \u200bcoordinated response efforts, information sharing,\u2062 cybersecurity infrastructure investments, and international cooperation, the\u200c administration aims to \u200bprevent future attacks and ensure uninterrupted patient care.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Biden administration has taken significant steps to tackle the aftermath of the cyberattack on Change Healthcare&#8217;s payment processing system. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is leading the charge, prioritizing the coordination of efforts to ensure uninterrupted healthcare services, according to an agency press release<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2666,"featured_media":2193017,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/wex-s3.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/AP24058787482898-1024x683.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[538],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2193016","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-washington-examiner"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/wex-s3.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/AP24058787482898-1024x683.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2193016","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2666"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2193016"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2193016\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2193017"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2193016"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2193016"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2193016"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}