UnitedHealth, a leading insurance corporation, has announced its intention of reinstating the medical claims software and payment facilities of its subsidiary, Change Healthcare. The projected timeline for the restoration is set for mid-March.
Change Healthcare had to cease operations following a crippling ransomware attack conducted by a group known as Blackcat. The group, which also goes by the monikers Noberus and ALPHV, launched the attack on February 21. The incident severely affected multiple hospitals, pharmacies, and medical groups across the US.
In response to the detected threat, UnitedHealth took immediate action. The company quarantined and disconnected the infected systems, which generated a temporary suspension of pharmacy services, payment platforms, and medical claims operations. This information was disclosed in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
UnitedHealth has stated that the pharmacy claims and payment systems are already functional once more. The electronic payments and medical claims platforms are expected to be up and running by March 15 and March 18, respectively.
Moreover, Dirk McMahon, UnitedHealth's Chief Operating Officer, continues to advise all provider and payer clients to adhere to workarounds in the meantime. McMahon stated that their priority is to expedite processes and maintain redundancy in the current atmosphere.
According to him, the process involves a blend of dialed-back development, rebuilding from safer environments, and remediation and decontamination of the infected code.
Wired magazine reports suggest UnitedHealth had paid the hackers a ransom of $22 million, made in bitcoin. McMahon, however, dodged the question when asked about the validity of this report, stating, "We're not going to talk about that." He did confirm that they are working in tandem with law enforcement on an ongoing legal investigation.
