Statement of Sen. Warner on Change Healthcare Cyberattack

Press Release

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

"This ransomware attack on a major health care company should surprise no one. For some time, I have been sounding the alarm on the need for the entire health care sector to drastically step up its game when it comes to cybersecurity. We've previously seen incidents that have caused regional disruptions in clinical care, and it was only a matter of time before one disrupted the ability to treat patients nationwide.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is working around the clock to help health care providers navigate the attack, and I urge them to ensure all Medicare providers can receive advance and accelerated payments to help them ride this crisis out. If HHS requires additional authorities from Congress to support providers during this time, it's critical we know that so that we can act as soon as possible.

This attack demonstrates that we need to have backup plans in place for such incidents. I plan to write and introduce legislation that would provide for accelerated and advanced payments to providers and vendors to protect them in the event of future disruptions, as long as they meet minimum cybersecurity standards.

While the repercussions of this incident have been primarily -- though not wholly -- financial, what keeps me up at night is the possibility of a similar widespread attack directly affecting patient care and safety. That is why it is time to consider mandatory cyber hygiene standards for health care providers and their vendors. Sterilization and hand hygiene practices prevent infections -- and cyber hygiene practices prevent cyber intrusions. Both are critical to protect patients."

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source