The Change Healthcare cyberattack, one of the largest health payment processing companies globally, has left a devastating impact on the health care system. This data breach, a result of the change healthcare cyber attack, disrupted change healthcare services and billing operations nationwide, posing a direct threat to patient care and leaving doctors’ offices and hospitals with serious cash flow problems. Organizations with low liquidity or constrained access to credit were particularly vulnerable, underscoring the critical need for increased financial resilience within the health system.
The breach’s impact extended beyond financial woes. Sensitive health information of millions of Americans was leaked onto the dark web due to security breaches, exposing personal identifiers, medical records, and insurance details. The FBI, CISA, and HHS jointly announced the severity of the breach, emphasizing the need for robust cybersecurity measures. The American Medical Association (AMA) and a bipartisan group of House Representatives also raised alarms about the ongoing challenges faced by physicians and patients due to this unprecedented cyberattack.