Following a cyberattack on the largest health insurer in the United States last month, health care providers are still scrambling as insurance payments and prescription orders continue to be disrupted, costing physicians an estimated $100 million each day.
According to the American Medical Association, that estimate was generated by First Health Advisory, a cybersecurity company that focuses on the healthcare sector.
“This massive breach and its wide-ranging repercussions have hit physician practices across the country, risking patients’ access to their doctors and straining the viability of medical practices themselves,” AMA President Dr. Jesse Ehrenfeld stated in a news release.
“Against the backdrop of persistent Medicare cuts, rising practice costs and spiraling regulatory burdens, this unparalleled cyberattack and disruption threatens the viability of many practices, particularly small practices and those in rural and underserved areas,” he added. “This is an immense crisis demanding immediate attention.”