Last month, Change Healthcare was the target of a major cyberattack that has impacted many marriage and family therapists (MFTs) and other healthcare providers. Owned by UnitedHealth Group (UHG), Change Healthcare processes up to 15 billion healthcare transactions annually. Due to this cyberattack, MFTs, other individual healthcare providers, hospitals, and clinics are not receiving payments for services recently provided to clients. This disruption significantly impacts the finances of MFTs and other providers, especially smaller providers.
AAMFT recognizes the impact of this cyberattack on MFTs who process payments through Change Healthcare and has reached out to share these concerns with Change and UHG. Change Healthcare shared that they will not resume electronic payments until March 15 at the earliest.
AAMFT fully supports the statement by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services encouraging insurers to make interim payments to impacted providers. We applaud the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services for making accelerated payments available to Medicare Part B providers. We urge other payers to make advanced payments to MFTs impacted by this cyberattack.
Providers can learn more here: https://www.hhs.gov/about/news/2024/03/10/letter-to-health-care-leaders-on-cyberattack-on-change-healthcare.html
https://www.unitedhealthgroup.com/changehealthcarecyberresponse
Medicare Providers can learn more here: https://www.cms.gov/newsroom/fact-sheets/change-healthcare/optum-payment-disruption-chopd-accelerated-payments-part-providers-and-advance