A cyberattack that's made it harder for patients nationwide to get their prescriptions filled exposed a major vulnerability facing health care: consolidation.
Why it matters: The attack against a UnitedHealth Group subsidiary that's a major player in how the industry processes payments underscores how a well-targeted strike can reverberate across the entire industry and jeopardize patient access to needed treatment, experts said.
What they're saying: "This is our Colonial pipeline moment," said John Riggi, national adviser for cybersecurity and risk for the American Hospital Association, referring to the 2021 cyberattack that led to a six-day shutdown resulting in gas shortages along the East Coast.
Growing cyberattacks on health facilities have disrupted care at individual hospitals and even across multiple health systems, but none has had such a wide-reaching impact across the sector, experts said.
This attack on Change Healthcare, which is part of United's health services unit Optum, may have rippled even further than needed.
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