How Change Healthcare Changed Healthcare
In February, Change Healthcare, the largest processor of medical claims in the U.S., was hit by a devastating cyberattack. Some are even calling it the most significant and consequential cyberattack on our healthcare system in American history.
The fallout exposed deep vulnerabilities in healthcare infrastructure and how healthcare data is protected, highlighting the fragility of a system built on fragmented networks and a patchwork of cybersecurity measures.
In this episode, Washington Post national health reporter Dan Diamond helps us understand the fallout of the Change Healthcare hack, digging into the consequences for providers, patients, and the industry at large.
We cover:
Understanding what happened at Change Healthcare, and how providers and patients have been impacted
What we know about the hackers behind the cyberattack
What will happen to all the personal health data that’s still out there
The risks of having a single company owning so much of the nation’s healthcare ecosystem
What vulnerabilites led to this cyberattack, and what we need to do moving forward
About our guest:
Dan Diamond is a national health reporter for The Washington Post, focused on accountability, federal agencies and public health. He joined The Post in 2021 after covering the Trump administration for Politico, where he won a George Polk award for investigating political interference in the pandemic response. His investigations into a range of topics, including Trump officials' use of taxpayer-funded charter jets, not-for-profit hospitals' spending and how Congress stripped Pacific Islanders of their health coverage, have also been honored with several journalism awards.
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