U.S. Rep. Angie Craig Urges Administration to Protect Patients, Providers in Wake of Change Healthcare Cyberattack

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Representative Angie Craig is urging the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to take significant steps to protect providers and patients in the wake of the February 21st cyberattack on Change Healthcare.

In a letter, Rep. Craig urged HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra to take all measures necessary to ensure Medicare, Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) operations continue to run smoothly.

She also requested information on what HHS is doing to mitigate the financial harm the cyberattack caused to patients and caregivers and prevent future incidents.  

“We appreciate the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announcement about assistance to hospitals dated March 5, 2024, and physicians dated March 9, 2024. We urge HHS to follow up on these announcements by using all its authorities to ensure timely payment across the board in Parts A, B and C of Medicare. Additionally, we ask for HHS to work with states to ensure Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) are able to receive timely payments so that all aspects of the health care system can continue to remain open, fully functional and accessible to patients,” wrote Rep. Craig and 93 other Members.

They continued, “Recent articles have detailed patients who must cover the entire cost of their medications, or even go without when pharmacies are not able to find workarounds for the lack of access to insurance coverage information. Furthermore, our offices have received concerns from constituents who have paid out-of-pocket for their medical supplies with no known solution for how to make them whole. We are worried about our constituents’ ability to afford these expenses.”

A full copy of the letter to Secretary Becerra can be found here.

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