U.S. Health Department Opens Probe into UnitedHealth Hack

Healthcare attorney Shannon Hartsfield was quoted in a Reuters article regarding the cyberattack on UnitedHealth Group's Change Healthcare, which prompted an investigation by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. This probe centers on whether protected health data was breached and if Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) requirements were adhered to. The attack, affecting a vast network of healthcare providers and potentially millions of patients, presents a significant challenge in identifying those impacted. Ms. Hartsfield commented on the daunting task of sifting through the extensive data to pinpoint affected individuals, underscoring the complex repercussions of the incident on the U.S. healthcare system.

"Patients might be affected by this incident in many different ways through many different entities," she said.

READ: U.S. Health Department Opens Probe into UnitedHealth Hack