Staff Reports
The Biden administration is running around like chickens with their heads cut off trying to clean up the mess caused by a cyberattack on the payment processing system Change Healthcare. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is pulling out all the stops, making sweeping actions and releasing statements left and right in a desperate attempt to save face.
HHS is on its high horse, blabbering about how important it is to avoid disruptions in the healthcare system. No duh, Sherlock! But instead of actually fixing the problem, they’re just spouting off about the importance of cybersecurity, as if that’s news to anyone. It’s like telling someone who just got hit by a bus that they should look both ways before crossing the street.
Biden administration responds to UnitedHealth cyberattack https://t.co/eYqlB1FC8r via @csgazette
— Cindy (@Cindy63306167) March 5, 2024
The big kahuna in this mess is the UnitedHealth Group, the owner of Change Healthcare, whose system has been on the fritz since February 21. Yeah, you read that right. It’s been weeks, and these guys still haven’t figured out how to get their act together. As a result, doctors and hospitals are suffering, unable to collect the money they need to keep the lights on and the doors open.
HHS announced that they’re rolling out all sorts of policies to help healthcare providers deal with the fallout. They’re talking about Medicare this, Medicaid that, and removing administrative hurdles blah blah blah. But it’s like slapping a Band-Aid on a broken leg. Sure, it might make you feel better for a minute, but it’s not actually solving the problem.
Now, the head honchos at the American Hospital Association are firing off letters left and right, begging for help from the feds. They’re practically begging on their hands and knees for some support, but all they’re getting is radio silence. It’s like the feds are playing a game of hot potato, passing the responsibility back and forth until someone drops the ball. And meanwhile, the hospitals are bleeding cash and resources.
Even the American Medical Association is getting in on the action, pleading with HHS and the CMS to use emergency funding to help out struggling providers. But it seems like no one in the Biden administration is willing to step up and take charge. It’s like they’re all too busy pointing fingers and patting themselves on the back to actually do something useful.
In the end, the whole situation is a hot mess. The Biden administration is stumbling around, trying to look like they’ve got everything under control, but in reality, it’s just one giant dumpster fire. And while they’re busy twiddling their thumbs, healthcare providers are left high and dry, wondering if anyone in Washington actually gives a hoot about their struggles.
