Ransomware attacks targeting local healthcare groups

Barbara McAneny with the New Mexico Cancer Center says they have had to change the way they work due to a string of ransomware attacks on Optum and United Health Care. “This is an important development for every health care entity in the country,” McAneny said.With Optum being one of their partners, it’s affected a number of services they provide.”Our ability to check whether or not patients are authorized by their insurance to get a prescription or treatment went away,” McAneny said.Due to the attack on Optum, the center also can’t submit claims or receive payments. Tech experts wonder how an attack like this continues to affect the health care industry.”It’s interesting given that the impact is so great that you would think that we would have turned the corner many years ago and started beefing up, you know, our cyber security programs in that space,” Deron Grzetich said.The New Mexico Cancer Center has not had its information breached — and has not been victim to this ransomware attack. But McAneny is concerned for other practices in the state and how this affects people’s ability to receive prescriptions, and if personal information is being stolen through other providers.Other groups affected by these ransomware attacks are UnitedHealth and Change Healthcare. “Anyone who’s filled a prescription or seen a physician or dentist or any health care provider is at risk to have their own personal identity stolen,” McAneny said.In the wake of this attack, she offers this to calm anyone seeking help at the cancer center.”We are going to be treating our patients as we always have,” McAneny said.She says the center is still able to fill prescriptions in-house, but can’t send orders to outside pharmacies.

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