On February 21, UnitedHealth’s Change Healthcare announced they had experienced a cybersecurity incident. Change Healthcare provides various technology services across the healthcare industry. Change Healthcare indicated their information technology systems had been compromised during the incident.
The company immediately disconnected services, notified law enforcement, and began investigating the threat.
Why it matters
Change Healthcare merged with UnitedHealth Group and Optum in 2022. Change Healthcare provides prescription processing services through Optum, which supplies technology services for more than 67,000 pharmacies.
Premera is monitoring this situation and any potential impact to our members and customers. It is important to note that none of Premera’s systems have been affected.
Q: What is Premera doing to address the situation?
A: Premera has taken steps to secure our systems and monitor for indications of this cyberattack. There is currently no sign of suspicious activity within Premera’s systems. Our Pharmacy Benefit Manager, Express Scripts, has also taken precautionary measures to disconnect their networks from Change Healthcare and, in some cases, Optum.
Q: What impact has this had on members? Are they still able to access health care services, which may be critical?
A: Some members may experience difficulties in accessing pharmacy services. We’ve also learned that some of our programs may not have access to certain Change Healthcare provided resources, which may be limiting member’s ability to access services. Premera remains committed to helping members get access to the healthcare they need. We take this responsibility seriously and are working with providers, pharmacies, and vendors to ensure continued access to care. Members experiencing any difficulties should call the number on the back of their ID card for support and assistance.
To access a copy of your ID card, sign in or create an account at premera.com, then go to Explore Resources, Quick Help, and Accounts & ID Cards. Or go to Premera’s mobile app, available in your app store on your mobile device.
Q: When will systems be restored?
A: Change Healthcare has not shared a timeline for restoration of services. We will only reconnect to their systems after independent verification indicates it is safe to do so.
We will continue to provide updates on this situation as we learn more.
