Cyberattack downs pharmacies across America

IT provider Change Healthcare has confirmed it shut down some of its systems following a cyberattack, disrupting prescription orders and other services at pharmacies across the US. The technology outfit is one of the largest in the country of its kind, and is used by pharmacists to check patients' eligibility for treatments …

[elDog]

Oh dear. Some malfeasants are hacking the corporates that are already ripping off the US customers

This just happens to be related to PhRMA which is the major player in gouging pharmacies and their customers.

Of course, the only ones really hurt are those that need their meds - now!

[cyberdemon]

In the olden days

We didn't have "pharmacists"

We had "chemists" who would dispense whatever medicines the customer wished to purchase.

Without needing to consult any cloud-based or otherwise computer system to find out what they were "entitled" to ask for.

[HuBo]

Re: In the olden days

You had chemists, wow, you were lucky! In my days, we only had voodoo witch doctors of shamanism who'd summon clouds of the sky, and invoke frog soup, to expunge evil spirits of illness from the guts of our inner bowels!

[cyberdemon]

How long until Palantir gets "hacked"

Oh never mind, they are selling the data to world+dog already

[Gene Cash]

forced some folks to pay for their medication at full price in cash

No, that would be "forced some folks to go without medication" as they probably can't afford the full price and they certainly aren't carrying that much cash.

[Wzrd1]

Re: forced some folks to pay for their medication at full price in cash

Given my insurance company wants to literally wait until my last dose is taken to refill my beta blockers, I'd get my meds on time via the emergency department.

It's either that or my aortic aneurysm pops apart.

[Cris E]

"but cannot estimate the duration or extent of the disruption at this time"

After reading this it turns out I am not actually having a bad day after all. It seemed sub-standard at first, and then I saw that the pharmacy infrastructure for much of the country is in ruins and it's not on my desk. So thanks for that, unfortunate Unitedhealthcare engineers, I appreciate the perspective. Well, time to turn off the machine and go upstairs to make dinner. Good luck, guys!

(Seriously, would anyone in IT object to any sort of penalty limit in these cases? Super infuriating to even read about, much less deal with in person. A genuine good luck gang to all working on this.)

[Anonymous Coward]

And on an ENTIRELY unrelated note...

Their API endpoint does not support ANY current ciphers.

I just hope this doesn't actually turn out to be as bad as the Experian debacle.

[Anonymous Coward]

full price in cash

Yikes!

[tip pc]

and forced some folks to pay for their medication at full price in cash.

and forced some folks to pay for their medication at full price in cash.

Just goes to show what a messed up regulated industry healthcare is.

They set a stupid price then negotiate some kind of discount per insurance provider thereby locking out competitors to the market & incentivising citizens to get insurance due to horrendous costs that citizens won’t get a discounted price on.

It’s deliberately opaque and funnels money to those already in the club.

Far less blatant but conceptually no different to the Russian oligarchs