The Medicaid billing system in Vermont has been inactive for more than two weeks due to a cybersecurity breach at Change Healthcare, affecting around 200,000 Vermont Medicaid users and causing notable operational difficulties for the state’s healthcare providers. This has impeded the ability of medical professionals to bill for services and prescriptions, leading to possible financial losses.
Measures are being implemented to protect the personal data of those affected by the breach, while Change Healthcare is collaborating with local officials to understand the breach and secure the system against future attacks. Meanwhile, residents reliant on Medicaid for their healthcare requirements are expressing concern. In response, the Vermont Department of Health Access is deploying resources to mitigate the effect on its Medicaid beneficiaries and offering counseling services for those concerned about potential identity theft.
The incident highlights the need for healthcare organizations to prioritize data security to protect patient information and avoid future service disruptions. Meanwhile, UnitedHealth Group, the parent company of Change Healthcare, confirmed that it had successfully reintegrated key segments of its pharmacy services system and is still working to fully restore the remainder of the affected software.
The company reassures that “Patients’ access to medication and privacy of personal information remain our utmost priority.” Despite anticipation that the integration process will take time, UnitedHealth Group promises minimal impact on services and thanks customers for their patience during the disruption.
The official timeline suggests a week or longer to fully restore the Medicaid claims processing system. The Vermont Health Access Department encourages beneficiaries to submit their claims as they usually would, despite possible temporary processing delays. Once the system has been fully restored, an official announcement will be made.
During the outage, the department plans to establish weekly payments to pharmacies and consider relaxing prescription refill controls. Once the billing system is operative again, all transactions made during the outage will be reviewed, and any potential discrepancies addressed.
No evidence of Vermonter’s personal data breaches has been found, and an alleged $22 million ransom in Bitcoin allegedly paid by Change Healthcare is under investigation. As the inquiry continues, the focus remains on the privacy and security of Vermonters.
