US providers could see credit impact from Change Healthcare hack, Moody’s says
FILE PHOTO: The corporate logo of the UnitedHealth Group appears on the side of one of their office buildings in Santa Ana, California, U.S., April 13, 2020. REUTERS/Mike Blake/File Photo
UNH
-0.08%
Add to/Remove from Watchlist
Add to Watchlist
Add Position
Position added successfully to:
Please name your holdings portfolio
Type:
BUY
SELL
Date:
Amount:
Price
Point Value:
Leverage:
1:1
1:10
1:25
1:50
1:100
1:200
1:400
1:500
1:1000
Commission:
Create New Watchlist
Create
Create a new holdings portfolio
Add
Create
+ Add another position
Close
MCO
-1.19%
Add to/Remove from Watchlist
Add to Watchlist
Add Position
Position added successfully to:
Please name your holdings portfolio
Type:
BUY
SELL
Date:
Amount:
Price
Point Value:
Leverage:
1:1
1:10
1:25
1:50
1:100
1:200
1:400
1:500
1:1000
Commission:
Create New Watchlist
Create
Create a new holdings portfolio
Add
Create
+ Add another position
Close
(Reuters) – Ratings agency Moody’s (NYSE:MCO) said on Friday that U.S. hospitals, physician facilities and other medical providers could see a credit impact resulting from disruptions from the hack at UnitedHealth (NYSE:UNH)’s Change Healthcare (NASDAQ:CHNG), which processes medical insurance claims and payments.
The unit, which processes about 50% of medical claims in the U.S., was breached on Feb. 21 by a hacking group called ALPHV, also known as BlackCat.
“The ultimate credit impact on providers will largely depend on the effect of payment delays on cash flow needed to meet expenses,” said Kailash Chhaya, senior analyst for Moody’s Ratings.
Providers that rely solely on Change face an inability to file any claims, Chhaya said.
The expenses can include labor to handle processing claims through slower, even manual methods.
Many large providers use multiple systems, mitigating effects of the disruption. The system shutdown has also affected pre-treatment authorization, causing delays in administering certain services.
UnitedHealth on Thursday said it expects to restore disrupted services for medical claims and payments platforms by mid-March.
UnitedHealth did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.
Last month, Moody’s said the hack was a “credit negative” for the company.
