Medicare offers advance payments for providers impacted by Change Healthcare cyberattack

Editor's Note

In a March 9 Press release, CMS announced it will offer emergency funding for healthcare providers experiencing continued disruptions in the wake of a February 21 cyberattack on Change Healthcare, a subsidiary of UnitedHealthGroup and a major processor of medical claims.

According to the release, CMS will extend advance payments to providers billing through Medicare Part B, which covers some doctors’ visits, preventive services, medical supplies, and outpatient treatment and services. AT the time of the announcement, applications for accelerated payments for Medicare Part A providers were already available.

“As announced previously, we have directed our Medicare Administrative Contractors (MACs) to expedite actions needed for providers and suppliers to change the clearinghouse they use and to accept paper claims if providers need to use that method,” the press release notes. “We will continue to respond to provider and supplier inquiries regarding MAC processes.”  

The rules governing CMS’s payments to MA organizations and Part D sponsors remain unchanged.