The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Hospitals find workarounds after massive cyberattack
February hack disrupted billing, payment services.
Some Georgia hospitals and pharmacies slowly are regaining their footing after a crippling cyberattack against a nationwide health care technology firm stalled bill- ing and payments for the past two weeks.
Many hospitals and health care providers have been unable to file insurance claims and bill for services since Change Healthcare, the country’s largest proces- sor of medical claims, was hacked Feb. 21. It is unclear when the situation will be resolved.
The American Hospi- tal Association says some patients have struggled to get access to care and that bil- lions in payments to provid- ers have been halted, threatening the financial viability of hospitals, health systems, physician offices and other providers.
The association and its members have pleaded with the federal government for help, with some saying they are nearing the bottom of their cash reserves and soon could be unable to maintain staffing and services.
Anna Adams, a spokes- woman for the Georgia Hos- pital Association, said the impact of the hack varies significantly among pro- viders. Larger hospital sys- tems with significant cash reserves are better positioned to weather the prob- lems than smaller or rural hospitals, which operate with slimmer margins.
Adams said the hack has resulted in $10 million in lost cash flow at a major hospital system in Georgia and even more than that at another one, and at least one smaller hospital has lost $1 million in cash flow. She declined to name the hospitals without their permission.
In Georgia, Emory Health- care and Northside Hospi- tal report they have set up alternative pathways to file claims and verify insurance with insurance companies.
A spokesperson for Northside Hospital said they quickly disconnected from Change Healthcare func- tions after the hack and have implemented alternate pro- grams “for the time being.” For now, the billing and pay- ment processes are “working well and not disrupted.”
Emory Healthcare CEO Dr. Joon Lee called the situation a crisis for the U.S. health care system and acknowl- edged the hack is having a “profound” impact on work to verify insurance and pro- cess claims.
In an interview with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Lee said “it’s fair to say orga- nizations of our size will eas- ily have millions of dollars of cash flow that are delayed or interrupted.” While Emory has not shared the dollar value in lost cash flow from the hacking, Lee said Emory had a net revenue of $6.2 bil- lion for the first six months of the fiscal year that began September 2023.
Lee said Emory has devel- oped many workarounds and is creating new systems going forward. One thing he stressed that has not changed: patient care.
“Some of the patients unfortunately have been inconvenienced in terms of scheduling and insurance verification, which is tak- ing somewhat longer, but we have done everything we can to minimize any type of impact in terms of schedul- ing or actual delivery of care, and so far we’re fortunate that we haven’t seen any impact in terms of actual care delivery,” he said.
A Piedmont Hospital spokesperson said contin- gency plans have minimized the impact to its operations.
At Northeast Georgia Med- ical Center, a spokesperson said the hack has hampered its ability to process some claims and as of Wednesday the hospital was experienc- ing about $2 million “and growing” in unbilled med- ical claims. Layne Saliba, a spokesman for the hospi- tal system, said it was work- ing with vendors on a work- around and “we’re optimis- tic we’ll have something in place soon.”
Hospital systems not reli- ant on Change Healthcare appear unscathed by the massive ransomware attack.
Phoebe Putney Hospital System in Albany switched vendors in order to file claims. A spokesman said only about 2% to 3% of claims have been affected and administrators have figured out a workaround to bill those claims.
Meanw h i l e, C hange Healthcare also set up a new electronic prescription service for drugstores, hospitals and nursing homes, pharmacies, and other providers impacted by the ransomware attack.
Dawn Randolph, chief executive officer of the Georgia Pharmacy Association, said the new temporary version of its “Rx ePrescribing service” was launched Friday and pharmacies across Georgia now are using the temporary system. She said some pharmacists will have “an accounting nightmare” to work through their backlogs, but pharmacy claims are flowing at near-normal levels.
Pharmacists have continued to make sure patients had access to their medications, relying on workarounds or the assumption they would be reimbursed by insurance companies, Randolph said.
Change Healthcare announced Thursday that ransomware group ALPHV, or Blackcat, had claimed responsibility for the attack. A report by the tech blog Wired said hackers behind the cyberattack received a $22 million payment that is believed to be a ransom paid by Change Healthcare. But despite the payment, the system still was not back online Thursday.
The outage is reported to be widespread nationally. The Washington Post reported that the Justice Department in a 2022 lawsuit cited UnitedHealth Group — which owns Change Healthcare — as stating that 50% of U.S. medical claims go through Change’s “electronic data interchange clearinghouse.”
Adams said the Georgia Hospital Association is encouraging insurance companies to waive or extend timely claim filing requirements a s well as urging them to make interim payments to hospitals that can show a hardship due to their reduced cash flow.
Emory’s Lee said he doesn’t expect an immediate fix.
“I think it’s fair to say none of us believe it will go back the way it was two weeks ago
time soon. And from our standpoint, we’re already planning on markedly different workarounds, some of which will be permanent,” he said.
As a survivor of domestic violence, I’ve traversed harrowing paths first as an undocumented immigrant child and later as an adult raising my children. I transitioned from being a legal permanent resident to proudly becoming a naturalized citizen. It is with a profound sense of sorrow that I address the tragic loss of Laken Riley.
My heartfelt sympathies extend to her family and loved ones as they endure this unimaginable grief. This appalling incident serves as a poignant reminder of the perpetual risks women confront each day — risks compounded for those of us grappling with immigration complexities amid the looming specter of violence.
Violence against women is a pervasive issue that transcends borders, legal status and background. Laken’s death is a tragic example of the risks women endure in their everyday lives, whether going for a run or simply existing in spaces where they should feel safe. This is not just about one individual’s actions but a systemic problem demanding comprehensive solutions.
The narrative surrounding this tragedy has unfortunately veered toward divisive and harmful territory, with some using it as an opportunity to stoke anti-immigrant sentiment. This focus on the perpetrator’s immigration status is not only misleading but dangerous. It shifts the conversation away from the critical issue at hand: the safety of women and the urgent need to address violence against them.
Research, such as a 2020 Princeton University study, has consistently shown undocumented immigrants are less likely to commit crimes than their native-born and legal immigrant counterparts. This study reveals that undocumented immigrants in Texas had the lowest felony arrest rates across violent, property, drug and traffic offenses compared to native-born citizens and legal immigrants. U.S.born citizens were more than twice as likely to be arrested for violent and drug crimes and over four times for property crimes. These findings challenge the unfounded narratives that seek to criminalize undocumented immigrants and distract from the real issues at hand.
The sensationalizing of terms like “illegal alien” not only dehumanizes individuals but also detracts from the crucial conversation about violence against women. It is irresponsible and contributes to a culture that marginalizes and stereotypes, ignoring the empirical evidence that disputes these harmful myths.
Women across the globe navigate a world filled with caution, altering our behaviors and limiting our freedoms in the hope of avoiding violence. This reality should not be accepted as the norm. Instead, it should be a call to action for legislators, policymakers and communities to create safer environments for all women, irrespective of their background or immigration status.
Let us not allow Laken’s tragic death to be misdirected to an issue that won’t solve the risks women face every day for simple things like going for a run. Instead, let it be a catalyst for change, driving us to address the root causes of violence against women and to reject the divisive tactics that seek to distract us from this goal. Our focus must remain on creating a world where all women can live without fear and where their safety is a given, not a privilege.