US government calls for insurance companies to make advanced payments following cyberattack disruption

The US government has called on insurance companies to provide advance payments to healthcare providers following a cyberattack that disrupted insurance processing systems. The cyberattack affected Change Healthcare, a unit of UnitedHealth Group, which handles billions of healthcare transactions annually. The attack has led to difficulties in processing prescription bills at hospitals and pharmacies nationwide. The government has urged other healthcare payers, particularly UnitedHealth Group, to expedite advance payments and improve communication to ensure no providers face financial challenges as a result of the cyberattack.