Priya PatelTLDR:
- Pharmacies are struggling to fill prescriptions for veterans after a cyberattack on Change Healthcare.
- Change Healthcare is working to restore its systems, causing delays for veterans trying to access medication.
Veterans Struggling to Fill Prescriptions After Hack of Major Healthcare Technology Company
Currently, pharmacies are having to manually process prescriptions while the company works to get its systems back online. Last week, a cyber attack against Change Healthcare, one of the country’s largest health care technology companies, forced the payment processor to shut down its systems.
Retired US Navy veteran Jeffery Rutland shared his struggles in trying to get prescriptions filled for him and his wife due to the ongoing system issues. Tricare, covering 9.5 million veterans and beneficiaries, is one of the biggest healthcare providers impacted by the attack.
Naval Hospital Jacksonville continues to process prescriptions for chronic pain, ADHD medications, and emergency refills, but with delays. US Rep. Michael Waltz highlighted the national security vulnerability exposed by the cyber attack, emphasizing the need for a strong economy to combat such threats.
Waltz suggested expanding the number of healthcare payment processors to prevent future widespread impacts like those experienced by veterans during this attack. While Change Healthcare aims to restore partial system capabilities in the coming days, veterans like Rutland are hoping for a speedy resolution to the situation.
