AUGUSTA, Maine — The Maine Department of Health and Human Services took additional steps as a major health care payment services provider continued dealing with a cybersecurity breach.
On Feb. 21, Change Healthcare’s parent company, UnitedHealth Group, reported to the Securities and Exchange Commission that Change Healthcare's network had been breached by a suspected “nation-state associated” actor, implicating a foreign government; though the exact source remained a mystery to the public on Wednesday.
The company said in the SEC filing it immediately isolated the impacted systems, cutting off communication with them. Change Healthcare is the sole pharmacy services provider for MaineCare, and has shut down pharmacy payments during this breach.
On Tuesday evening, DHHS Commissioner Jeanne Lambrew authorized Maine pharmacies to fill prescriptions for up to 30 days, extending that coverage authorization from three days in the breach's immediate aftermath. Lambrew also promised to pay all eligible claims submitted once the system is operational again, and thanked pharmacies for continuing service to patients throughout.
"Every pharmacy in Maine that does provide prescriptions to our MaineCare members has been affected by this," Lambrew said during a Zoom interview Wednesday. "We appreciate they're working with the state of Maine to ensure that prescriptions are provided. We will pay every pharmacy for every eligible claim."
MaineCare covers 400,000 Mainers. Lambrew said she had seen no evidence that any Maine patient information had been compromised as of Wednesday. CVS Health told CNBC on Saturday it had been unable to process some insurance claims, but could still fill prescriptions. Walgreens told the network on Monday a small percentage of its customers trying to get their prescriptions have faced problems.
Some Maine providers were feeling impacts as the breach lingered.
Patrick Connolly, M.D., practices family medicine at Martin's Point Health Care in Portland. He said that on Wednesday morning he had to repeatedly try to get a prescription in for a patient.
"I tried to send over a new prescription four separate times to her pharmacy, without success, because of the problems this has created," Connolly said, adding he eventually was able to sign and fax the order over.
"It's bad for patients who are running out of their medications, who need them, and, in some cases, when they suddenly have to stop their medicine because it's not available, they're suffering withdrawal symptoms," he continued.
Change Healthcare's website claims the multi-billion-dollar company completes 15 billion healthcare transactions annually, and 1-in-3 U.S. patient records are "touched by our clinical connectivity solutions."
Lambrew advised MaineCare patients to continue filling prescriptions as needed and said anyone having trouble can call the MaineCare pharmacy help desk at 1-866-796-2463.