Cyberattack Paralyzes the Largest U.S. Health Care Payment System

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These are just a few examples of the severe cash squeeze facing medical care providers — from large hospital networks to the smallest of clinics — in the aftermath of a cyberattack two weeks ago that paralyzed the largest U.S. billing and payment system in the country.

In recent days, the chaotic nature of this sprawling breakdown in daily, often invisible transactions led top lawmakers, powerful hospital industry executives and patient groups to pressure the U.S. government for relief.

On Tuesday, the Health and Human Services Department announced that it would take steps to try to alleviate the financial pressures on some of those affected: Hospitals and doctors who receive Medicare reimbursements would mainly benefit from the new measures.

But with the shutdown growing longer, doctors, hospitals and other providers are wrestling with paying expenses because the steady revenue streams from private insurers, Medicare and Medicaid are simply not flowing in.

The hospital industry has labeled the infiltration of Change “the most significant cyberattack on the U.S. health care system in American history,” and urged the federal government and United to provide emergency funding.

Senator Chuck Schumer, Democrat of New York and the chamber’s majority leader, wrote a letter on Friday, urging federal health officials to make accelerated payments available.

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