Question: Regarding the problem filling prescriptions, should we contact HMSA about this?
Answer: “HMSA members should work directly with their pharmacies of choice as each one may have a unique work-around depending on how they were impacted by the Change Healthcare security incident. If members wish to contact HMSA directly for support, we recommend they submit a request for assistance online using their ‘My Account’ on hmsa.com,” Anna Koethe, an HMSA spokesperson, said Monday in an email.
Health care providers nationwide, including some in Hawaii, have been disrupted by a ransomware cyberattack on Change Healthcare, a payment network that, when it is operating normally, electronically connects doctors’ offices, pharmacies and hospitals with health insurers to process claims, confirming whether a service, treatment or prescription is covered by insurance, how much the insurance company will pay and how much a patient owes. Change Healthcare is a subsidiary of insurance giant UnitedHealth Group, which posts updates about the cyberattack at unitedhealthgroup.com.
The website says Change Healthcare has implemented “multiple workarounds to ensure provider claims are addressed and people have access to the medications and care they need” and that it has activated an e-prescribing method online “to help reduce workload associated with pharmacy workarounds.”
However, the American Medical Association said in a news release Monday that the “cyber-takedown” of Change Healthcare on Feb. 21 has caused unprecedented problems nationwide, not limited to pharmacies, that have made it difficult or impossible for providers that rely on Change Healthcare to submit claims, verify insurance coverage, obtain prior authorization or complete other steps in the payment process. Affected medical practices have gone without revenue for 12 days, the AMA said.
“This massive breach and its wide-ranging repercussions have hit physician practices across the country, risking patients’ access to their doctors and straining viability of medical practices themselves,” said AMA President Jesse M. Ehrenfeld. “Against the backdrop of persistent Medicare cuts, rising practice costs and spiraling regulatory burdens, this unparalleled cyberattack and disruption threatens the viability of many practices, particularly small practices and those in rural and underserved areas. This is an immense crisis demanding immediate attention.”
The AMA urged the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services “to utilize any available emergency funds and authorities to provide critical financial resources to physicians, ensuring they can continue to deliver essential health care services during these challenging times.”
Kokua Line is seeking more information from the Healthcare Association of Hawaii and the state Department of Health about the breadth of the impact in Hawaii, having heard so far only anecdotal reports from readers who had difficulty filling new prescriptions or obtaining vaccines at their usual retail pharmacy. On Friday, HMSA confirmed that Change Healthcare’s “cybersecurity incident” might affect HMSA members’ access to some health care services, but did not say how widely service was affected.
Mahalo
Mahalo to the person who paid for our six drinks at Starbucks Waimalu on Jan. 10. We are six senior citizens. As we ordered our drinks, the cashier said an anonymous person was paying for us. What a surprise! Who could it be? Only young adults were around us. Kindness and generosity were given to us by someone we do not know. We are so grateful to this young adult. We wish this person and family many blessings. God bless you. This act of kindness has given us inspiration, hope and purpose to give and bless others, too. — Six senior citizens
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