AHA testified April 16 at a House Health, Energy, and Commerce Subcommittee hearing on addressing healthcare cybersecurity vulnerabilities in the wake of the Change Healthcare attack and offered suggestions and concerns for Congress and the administration to consider. Shared.
“To meaningfully advance the fight against cybercrime, Congress and the administration should focus on the entire health care sector, not just hospitals,” said John Riggi, AHA National Advisor for Cybersecurity and Risk. . “Additionally, regarding the defensive strategy mandated for the health care sector, Congress requires federal agencies to combat ongoing and unresolved national problems by deploying a strong and sustained offensive cyber strategy. We should demand that our hospitals and health systems, and the patients they care for, be protected from security threats. Healthcare is a critical infrastructure sector that directly impacts public health and safety and must be protected. Cyberattacks on the healthcare sector that disrupt or delay patient care create risks to patient safety and cross the line from economic crimes to life-threatening crimes. ”
Among other actions, he called on Congress to “address the unresolved issues arising from the cyberattack on Change Healthcare for the well-being of our patients and communities. These include: patients to reconnect to services, process claims and dispute denials, and have the information they need to reconcile payments and issue patient bills, alleviating significant costs for hospitals and health systems. This includes ensuring that you have access to the financial support you need as a result of a cyber attack.
Also testifying at the hearing was Greg Garcia, executive director of cybersecurity for the Health Sector Coordinating Council. Robert Sheldon, CrowdStrike Senior Director of Public Policy and Strategy. Scott MacLean, Dean, Healthcare Information Management Executive; and Dr. Adam Brugeman, an orthopedic surgeon at Texas Spine Center.
