United’s Absence from Change Healthcare Hearing Raises Concerns over Cyberattack Impact on Patients and Providers

Change Healthcare, a medical claims processor that plays a significant role in the healthcare industry, was hit by a cyberattack in February. The attack had widespread consequences, causing disruptions in operations at clinics and hospitals and leading to delays in payments to providers. The company is still recovering from the incident.

The upcoming May 1 hearing at the House Energy and Commerce oversight subcommittee will be Witty’s first appearance in the House. During a recent hearing held by the panel’s health subcommittee regarding the hack, no representatives from United were present, despite their acquisition of Change in 2022. This led to discussions of a possible subpoena to compel United’s presence at future hearings.

In a joint statement released on Friday, Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.) and oversight subcommittee chair Morgan Griffith (R-Va.) expressed concerns over the fallout from the Change Healthcare hack. They highlighted the financial struggles faced by individuals and smaller providers in the aftermath of the cyberattack, which has put critical access for patients at risk.

Change Healthcare is still working on recovering from the attack and is taking steps to prevent similar incidents from happening in the future. The company has implemented new security measures and is conducting regular audits to ensure that its systems are secure.