Home Health & Hospice Week

If you want an idea of how much trouble the UnitedHealth Group-Change Healthcare ransomware attack caused, just look at the reward the feds are offering to combat the problem.

The U.S. Department of State “is offering a reward of up to $10 million for information leading to the identification or location of any person who, while acting at the direction or under the control of a foreign government, engages in certain malicious cyber activities against U.S. critical infrastructure,” it says in a release. “The ALPHV BlackCat ransomware-as-a-service group compromised computer networks of critical infrastructure sectors in the United States and worldwide, deploying ransomware on the targeted systems, disabling security features within the victim’s network, stealing sensitive confidential information, demanding payment to restore access, and threatening to publicize the stolen data if victims do not pay a ransom,” it notes.

At press time, UnitedHealth says it has advanced more than $4.7 billion so far to providers impacted by the cyberattack last month.

The company urges payers and other partners to reconnect to its system. “Our core systems are now back online and we are moving claims, but we need your help to get them moving faster,” it says in its most recent update.

Heads up: Meanwhile, if you’ve been affected by the attack and its fallout, you can get some medical review relief. “Per the direction of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), as of 3/27/2024, National Government Services (NGS) may grant extensions for responses to additional documentation requests (ADRs) to providers under active medical review if they attest they have been negatively impacted by the Change Healthcare/Optum Payment Disruption (CHOPD),” the HHH Medicare Administrative Contractor says in a message to providers.

“Extension requests should indicate the provider’s specific extended timeframe needed to respond to the ADR,” NGS instructs. “Additionally, medical review education sessions may be rescheduled upon request if due to CHOPD related burden. This direction remains in effect for 90 days,” the MAC says.