Change Healthcare is a large, multi-faceted healthcare technology company that in 2022 merged with Optum, a subsidiary of United Health Group. Optum works with many providers and payers (not just United HealthCare) across the country. Their products and services pertain to insurance coverage verification, including prior authorization, pharmacy benefit verification, and a range of products that enable hospitals to bill and collect payment from payers for their services.

On Wednesday, February 21, Optum reported to its customers that it had been experiencing a cybersecurity incident and proactively disconnected affected systems. Optum’s updates about the incident and a list of affected platforms can be found here. It is unclear at this time how long these outages will last.

At SBH, the privacy and security of our patients’ health information is of paramount importance, and the protection of this confidential information is our top priority. In response to this incident, SBH took immediate steps to further protect our patients’ information. We have assessed our own systems to determine any potential exposure to the incident affecting Optum and any necessary actions in response. At this time we are managing this response and monitoring Optum’s communications in an effort to avoid any disruptions in patient care or operations.