NewsChange Healthcare Affected by Cybersecurity Incident

On Wednesday, Feb. 21, 2024, Change Healthcare, a billing clearinghouse widely used by healthcare providers to electronically submit claims, experienced a cybersecurity incident. This incident has caused a significant impact on the HME industry affecting operations for many businesses including VGM Group companies, vendor partners, and members. Transactions submitted on or after Feb. 20, 2024, to Change Healthcare have been affected. 

UnitedHealth Group is the parent company of Optum and Change Healthcare is a subsidiary of Optum. Change Healthcare has a broad scope of services, and affected services that may impact providers include inability to electronically submit claims to payers via Change Healthcare, inability to perform eligibility checks online, and not receiving ERAs with payments impacting their ability to post claims accurately and quickly.  

“VGM remains committed to supporting our vendor partners and members as they navigate this unprecedented incident.” – Lindy Tentinger, President, VGM & Associates. 

HME providers should explore alternative paths for claims submission to reduce payment delays. HOMELINK, a VGM Group company which utilizes Change Healthcare, can accept claims from the following clearinghouses:  

•       Smart Data Solutions  
•       Data Dimensions

Contact HOMELINK Provider Relations for additional information at [email protected] or 888.636.1993.

At VGM, we take our customers’ security and privacy seriously and remain committed to providing reliable and secure services. No security incidents have occurred within the VGM Group companies.  

“This is a stark reminder for us all to remain vigilant. Big or small, healthcare organizations continue to be a primary target for cyber criminals."  Ryan Wood, CISO, VGM Group.   

Below are several resources that may help you and your business through this disruption.

1. UnitedHealthcare/Optum’s zero-cost, zero-interest weekly advance payment program UnitedHealthcare and Optum are offering this no-cost program to address cash-flow issues for providers impacted by the Change Healthcare cyberattack and subsequent program outage. Some key highlights of the program are:
   1. No upfront costs and no interest charged on the advance payments received by providers through this program
   2. Payments available to providers on a weekly basis
   3. Providers can choose whether to accept a full payment, partial payment, or no payment each week
   4. Payments received will have to be repaid within 45 business days after claims/payment processing services have been restored
   5. Providers are eligible if they:
      1. Are UHC providers,
      2. Receive payments from payers processed through Change Healthcare, or
      3. Work with other payers who have not offered advanced payments or are implementing other workarounds or have exhausted all connection options
   6. To utilize the program, providers will need to create an “Optum Pay” account if they don't already have one
   7. For more information about the program, please visit: https://www.optum.com/en/business/providers/health-systems/payments-lending-solutions/optum-pay/temporary-funding-assistance.html?v=optum.com/temporaryfunding

2. Medicaid Flexibilities Offered – CMS has asked state Medicaid programs to allow for additional flexibilities for providers during this time. Medicaid programs can make interim payments to providers, and Medicaid MCOs can do the same. More information regarding that guidance from CMS can be found here: https://www.medicaid.gov/sites/default/files/2024-03/cib031524.pdf.

          Be on the lookout for changes within your state. Or, better yet, reach out to them to  discuss the changes they have made or plan to make as a result of this new guidance from CMS.

3. CMS Medicare Advance Payment Program – CMS has created an accelerated or advanced payment program called Change Healthcare/Optum Payment Disruption (CHOPD) Accelerated and Advanced Payments program, but it only applies to provider who are experiencing a disruption in their Medicare Part A/B claims. An FAQ document regarding this CMS program can be found here: https://www.cms.gov/newsroom/fact-sheets/change-healthcare/optum-payment-disruption-chopd-accelerated-and-advance-payments-part-providers-and

4. Individual private payer programs – Some commercial/private insurance companies are offering similar advance payment programs or making changes to claims processing rules (extending timely filing, offering alternative clearinghouse connections, etc.). You would need to check with each of your payers individually to see what changes they have made for you or programs they are offering in response to the Change Healthcare cyberattack and subsequent service outage.

For the most recent updates from Change Healthcare visit https://status.changehealthcare.com/incidents/hqpjz25fn3n7. 

About VGM Group, Inc.  

Headquartered in Waterloo, Iowa, VGM is a 100% employee-owned company providing business and professional services to thousands of business customers across North America. Services include group purchasing, commercial insurance, management of healthcare services and networks in post-acute cases, healthcare distribution direct to patient homes, specialty consulting, online education, digital, print, and traditional marketing and more. VGM employs approximately 1,500 people across 36 states and Canada, with more than 1,100 working in Iowa. VGM has been named the Top Workplace in Iowa on multiple occasions and is proud of its role in the communities in which it serves. For more information, visit www.vgmgroup.com.