The cyberattack against UnitedHealth’s Change Healthcare unit highlights the inherent risk of consolidating vast amounts of patient and health care provider data under a handful of corporate entities.
Private ownership in healthcare has FAILED since its inception. All we have seen is the health insurance companies raise rates to the point healthcare in the world’s richest country is not the best care, but ranks rather poorly among all advanced economies. I’ve lived in Canada, the UK, Japan and I participated in a private plan in Thailand, which had better care and quality than I have experienced in the USA. Our healthcare is the world’s most expensive. That is an undeniable fact. The private insurers particularly in Medicare Advantage routinely deny care, delay care and overcharge the Medicare trust fund. Sadly our politicians on both sides of the aisle do not care. They think replacing Traditional Medicare with Medicare (dis) Advantage is the way to go. Their trust in Bif “for profit” business provides them campaigning funds for buying elections. What about the American People. We don’t have a say when we are denied care, or we cannot see a specialist or when the specialist who supports a procedure is over-ruled by the insurance companies who are not held accountable for their actions. When there are 10,000 or more deaths caused to paying customers/patients on preventable illnesses, this is not due to the Government; the root cause is the avarice of the private sector and unscrupulous executives who simply are interested in increasing profits for higher compensation on the American Peoples’ lives. That is involuntary murder and we need to halt this sort of irresponsibility. I personally wouldn’t be raising red flags except that I am a volunteer with the nonprofit organization Be a Hero Trust Fund, that, along with others groups whose members have experienced being denied care or delayed care leading to further medical complications is no different than what conservatives have said would lead to death panels. The health panels are not due to the government, but the decisions made by these Big Health Insurance Providers. Let’s stop spreading myths. The reality is far from the misinformed remarks regurgitated year after year by those who have the greatest interest in preserving an unsustainable status quo of privatized healthcare in these United States.
The concentration of data and the lack of real consequences (so far) for UnitedHealth means that this is likely to happen again, either at UnitedHealth or another big healthcare processor.
Thank you for reporting on this! I don't know how this isn't splashed across the front pages of all the major mainstream media outlets. There is still no estimated timeframe for full restoration of services, including e-prescriptions. UnitedHealthcare has, as you point out, zero incentive to hustle on it either. They are making interest on the premiums they are charging since magically that system never seems to be disrupted. They also are still charging monthly fees to us doctors for the "privilege" of utilizing their Change system of businesses (like their e-prescribing, for instance). It is a small fee, but is insult to injury at this point. And in what other profession are people expected to work while not being paid? How is this not wage withholding from the doctors who rendered services to patients? These huge companies take advantage of doctors knowing that we won't stop treating patients even when we aren't getting paid. And what about those patients who need prescriptions filled, but whose insurance can't be billed? How the hell are they supposed to afford to pay out of pocket on the risk that maybe someday the insurance will be billed for them? They pay their premiums
Warnings made two years ago when UnitedHealthcare was allowed to gobble up Optum are now being realized. We can't keep letting these huge companies consolidate power over us. They don't care about the people they are meant to serve. They care only for lining their own pockets.
Perhaps. My comment was not about the company's response but my perception that the writer was holding it responsible for being hacked simply because it is privately owned.
Private ownership in healthcare has FAILED since its inception. All we have seen is the health insurance companies raise rates to the point healthcare in the world’s richest country is not the best care, but ranks rather poorly among all advanced economies. I’ve lived in Canada, the UK, Japan and I participated in a private plan in Thailand, which had better care and quality than I have experienced in the USA. Our healthcare is the world’s most expensive. That is an undeniable fact. The private insurers particularly in Medicare Advantage routinely deny care, delay care and overcharge the Medicare trust fund. Sadly our politicians on both sides of the aisle do not care. They think replacing Traditional Medicare with Medicare (dis) Advantage is the way to go. Their trust in Bif “for profit” business provides them campaigning funds for buying elections. What about the American People. We don’t have a say when we are denied care, or we cannot see a specialist or when the specialist who supports a procedure is over-ruled by the insurance companies who are not held accountable for their actions. When there are 10,000 or more deaths caused to paying customers/patients on preventable illnesses, this is not due to the Government; the root cause is the avarice of the private sector and unscrupulous executives who simply are interested in increasing profits for higher compensation on the American Peoples’ lives. That is involuntary murder and we need to halt this sort of irresponsibility. I personally wouldn’t be raising red flags except that I am a volunteer with the nonprofit organization Be a Hero Trust Fund, that, along with others groups whose members have experienced being denied care or delayed care leading to further medical complications is no different than what conservatives have said would lead to death panels. The health panels are not due to the government, but the decisions made by these Big Health Insurance Providers. Let’s stop spreading myths. The reality is far from the misinformed remarks regurgitated year after year by those who have the greatest interest in preserving an unsustainable status quo of privatized healthcare in these United States.
The concentration of data and the lack of real consequences (so far) for UnitedHealth means that this is likely to happen again, either at UnitedHealth or another big healthcare processor.
Thank you for reporting on this! I don't know how this isn't splashed across the front pages of all the major mainstream media outlets. There is still no estimated timeframe for full restoration of services, including e-prescriptions. UnitedHealthcare has, as you point out, zero incentive to hustle on it either. They are making interest on the premiums they are charging since magically that system never seems to be disrupted. They also are still charging monthly fees to us doctors for the "privilege" of utilizing their Change system of businesses (like their e-prescribing, for instance). It is a small fee, but is insult to injury at this point. And in what other profession are people expected to work while not being paid? How is this not wage withholding from the doctors who rendered services to patients? These huge companies take advantage of doctors knowing that we won't stop treating patients even when we aren't getting paid. And what about those patients who need prescriptions filled, but whose insurance can't be billed? How the hell are they supposed to afford to pay out of pocket on the risk that maybe someday the insurance will be billed for them? They pay their premiums
Warnings made two years ago when UnitedHealthcare was allowed to gobble up Optum are now being realized. We can't keep letting these huge companies consolidate power over us. They don't care about the people they are meant to serve. They care only for lining their own pockets.
Expanded and improved Medicare for All must be a priority for all branches of government, after clean air and water.
Take action for a better way.
Blaming the hack on the private ownership of health is a stretch.
Perhaps. My comment was not about the company's response but my perception that the writer was holding it responsible for being hacked simply because it is privately owned.
pharmacy work is very stressful lately billing rejections
What narrative?