CHANGE HEALTHCARE CYBERATTACK FEARED TO HAVE LEAKED THE PERSONAL DATA OF VETERANS
If you are a Veteran who has used Change Healthcare, you may want to contact your financial institution and reset your passwords. Optum’s Change Healthcare continues to reel from a ransomware attack that may have compromised personal data for Vets. Politicians continue to seek answers about how far and wide the cyberattack really reached.
Who Owns Change Healthcare?
UnitedHealth Group finished buying Change Healthcare in October 2022 after first proposing the idea in January 2021. Since then, the companies have had to navigate many challenges while trying to reach their shared goal of making healthcare easier for the world. When the deal was announced, there were concerns from the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) over the deal providing UnitedHealth with too much power. Fears arose about UnitedHealth using its competitors' information to get ahead. However, Judge Carl Nelson said there wasn't enough proof of that to be an issue, and UnitedHealth is already getting competitors' data through Optum. Judge Nelson also pointed out that other carriers didn't think the deal would stop them from being innovative moving forward.
The Merger
The Change Healthcare-Optum merger has faced many issues. Nevertheless, the idea of their collaboration remains focused on simplifying healthcare for everyone involved. This includes improving a healthcare system both for those receiving care and for those working to administer it. Efficiency is key. By pooling talent and resources, the Change Healthcare-Optum partnership is hoping to reduce costs while streamlining its healthcare offerings at the same time.
Change Healthcare Layoffs
It’s difficult to say how many have experienced layoffs at Change Healthcare since its merger with UnitedHealth Group's Optum; however, there have been many former employees allegedly mentioning them online. This is far from uncommon. On average, roughly 30% of employees face layoffs following any merger between companies. Still, Optum hasn’t confirmed exactly how many employees are affected, though title changes have occurred affecting many different roles. Layoffs may not only related to the merger for Change Healthcare and there are concerns about future issues now that the cyberattack has helped hinder UnitedHealth Group, which suffered a $1.4 billion net loss in Q1 2024. This was due to the attack but also the sale of operations in Brazil. However, if there is a silver lining, these losses still beat the expectations previously set by investors.
2024 Change Healthcare Cyberattack Could Put the Personal Data of Veterans at Risk
Lawmakers want answers as Change Healthcare suffered a cyberattack that may have compromised the data of Veterans. As of now, answers are still lacking. The full reach of the attack is still under investigation, but the ransomware attacking is impacting many Americans. House Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman Mike Bost, is specifically seeking to learn more about the connections to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to better understand how Vet data may have been compromised. What is known so far is that the attack is serious and many medical entities have faced the possibility of shutting down as a result. Hackers shut down Change Healthcare’s network causing substantial issues throughout the company, including pharmacies in the U.S., military healthcare facilities, and the VA. BlackCat/ALPHV is the group responsible for the hack. They have stolen around six terabytes of data from patients. Medical charges and full medical histories are not a part of the hack. If you believe you may have had your information stolen or compromised, you’ll want to be sure to take advantage of UnitedHealth’s two years of free credit monitoring. Additionally, if you’ve used Changing Healthcare, be alert to suspicious activity, change your passwords, and be sure to notify your financial institution(s) about the best next steps. Related reads:
JOIN OUR NEWSLETTER