 Health Care |
Health Care |
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Second major hospital chain hit by cyberattack |
The largest Catholic hospital chain in the U.S. confirmed this week that a "cybersecurity event" took place in its network, making it the second hospital system this year to experience this kind of incursion. |
Ascension Health disclosed Thursday it had detected "unusual activity on select technology network systems" earlier this week. "At this time we continue to investigate the situation. We responded immediately, initiated our investigation and activated our remediation efforts. Access to some systems have been interrupted as this process continues," the company said in a statement. Having brought on the third-party cybersecurity firm Mandiant, Ascension said it is still figuring out "what information, if any, may have been affected by the situation." This attack comes amid scrutiny of cybersecurity in health care, and just months after Change Healthcare, a subsidiary of top U.S. healthcare conglomerate UnitedHealth Group, was hit by a cyberattack that halted insurance payments to hospitals across the country. UnitedHealth Group CEO Andrew Witty recently confirmed to Congress that his company paid a ransom of $22 million in an attempt to protect patient information. He estimated the breach impacted about one-third of the entire country. Ascension's network encompasses roughly 134,000 associates, 35,000 affiliated providers and 140 hospitals across 19 states and Washington, D.C., according to the company's website. "We are reaching out to our business partners to ensure they are aware of the situation so they can take appropriate steps to safeguard their systems. We encourage all business partners to coordinate with the Ascension Technology partners to address any specific questions," Ascension's statement on Thursday read. |
Welcome to The Hill's Health Care newsletter, we're Nathaniel Weixel and Joseph Choi — every week we follow the latest moves on how Washington impacts your health. |
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How policy will be impacting the health care sector this week and beyond: |
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Federal officials on Friday pledged to reimburse farmers for some of the costs associated with keeping their herds protected from an outbreak of the avian flu virus that's rapidly spreading among dairy cows. The funding includes up to $28,000 over the next 120 days to help individual farms test cattle and bolster biosecurity efforts to further limit the spread of the H5N1 virus between herds. The U.S. Department … |
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| A poll from the health policy nonprofit KFF found that 1 in 8 adults say they’ve taken a GLP-1 agonist, the obesity and diabetes medications that include Ozempic, Mounjaro and Zepbound. Among those surveyed, 12 percent said they had used a GLP-1 agonist, with 6 percent saying they’re currently using one. The majority — 62 percent — of them said they were using the drugs to treat a chronic condition such as diabetes … |
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The Biden administration’s move to loosen federal regulations on marijuana could help the president make much-needed headway among younger voters, a group that was crucial to his 2020 win but is showing waning enthusiasm for his reelection bid. The Drug Enforcement Administration's announcement last month that it will move forward with taking marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III substance represents the most substantial … |
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A MESSAGE FROM ASTRAZENECA |
Congress: Don't lose the fight against cancer |
The bipartisan ORPHAN Cures Act is needed to protect rare disease and cancer treatments in the development pipeline. With one-in-four cancer deaths in America occurring from a rare cancer, policymakers need to act now. Give Them Hope. |
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Branch out with a different read from The Hill: |
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FAIRFAX, Va. (AP) — A trial is underway in Virginia that will determine whether state law allows frozen embryos to be considered property that can be divided up and assigned a monetary value. |
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Local and state headlines on health care: |
- Their first baby came with medical debt. These Illinois parents won't have another. (KFF Health News)
- Idaho health department plans to stop paying health data contractor (Idaho Capital Sun)
- Wyomingites may be skeptical of Obamacare, but many use it for health insurance (WyoFile)
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Moms Matter: Closing the Maternal Mental Health Gap Thursday, May 16 at 8 a.m. ET — Top of the Hill, Washington, D.C. |
In person and streaming nationally. Why is postpartum depression so often undiagnosed? What can health care providers do, and what breakthrough therapies and treatments are available? Join The Hill on May 16 as we discuss important questions concerning maternal mental health. Speakers include: Stacey Brayboy, SVP at The March of Dimes; Adrienne Griffen, Executive Director at Maternal Mental Health Leadership Alliance, and more Speakers include: - Adrienne Griffen, Executive Director, Maternal Mental Health Leadership Alliance
- Stacey Brayboy, Senior Vice President, Public Policy & Government Affairs, March of Dimes
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Health news we've flagged from other outlets: |
- Hospitals are refusing to do surgeries unless you pay in full first (The Wall Street Journal)
- U.S. health care is increasingly like a casino (Axios)
- Farmers resist push for workers to wear protective gear against bird flu virus (Stat)
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Most read stories on The Hill right now: |
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The biggest solar storm to hit the United States in more than two decades is underway — with impacts to begin Friday evening. That means Americans … Read more |
| Barron Trump, the youngest son of former President Trump, has declined the offer to serve as a delegate for Florida at this summer’s Republican … Read more |
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You're all caught up. See you Monday! |
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