It’s the healthcare disruption that seems to remain top of mind. Nebraska’s Attorney General has now filed a lawsuit against Change Healthcare, alleging the company violated state consumer protection and data security laws, making Change vulnerable to the massive ransomware attack in February that brought wide channels of the US healthcare system to halt. Poor security and other systemic failures allowed cybercriminals to steal personal and health data while also freezing Change systems that process claims and payment, according to the lawsuit. The immediate cost of the breach has now risen to $2.457 billion, according to parent company UnitedHealth Group’s recent earnings report. The attorney general’s office wants Change and UnitedHealth “to implement stronger data security measures and to pay damages and penalties for the harm caused to Nebraska residents and healthcare providers.”
Offer your 2 cents: Nebraska healthcare providers who may have been affected can submit their contact information to the Nebraska Attorney General’s Office link on the website.