BY FADIA PATTERSON TAMPA
PUBLISHED 9:50 PM ET MAR. 25, 2024

PINELLAS COUNTY — The health care industry is currently facing a major cyber attack, which has directly impacted the payment exchange systems used by hospitals, doctors and insurance companies. While patients have not been the direct victims of the attack, the consequences are significant. Additionally, the non-profit organization Area Agency on Aging of Pasco Pinellas, Inc. is currently struggling financially.

Despite the cyberattack, the agency is keeping its doors open.

Randal Igus is a 67-year-old quadriplegic who requires constant care.

“What they are providing me is assistance and support,” said Igus.

The veteran has been getting care from the comfort of his home since 2018 from the Area Agency on Aging.

The agency is ensuring uninterrupted service quality despite a nationwide cyber attack that has affected all of Change Healthcare’s providers. This platform is used by the agency for billing purposes.

“We can’t get paid,” said Executive Director Ann Marie Winter. “So we haven’t been paid for the months of January and February, and here we are at the end of March; the program costs us about $300,000 a month.”

Winter says the agency has been staying afloat with the help of reserves and an advance of $300,000 from the parent company of Change Healthcare.,

It covers home health aids, incontinence supplies, and transportation to doctors’ offices; every service needed to stay at home.

They plan to request another advance. Ann Marie says they have never considered discontinuing healthcare for the veterans they serve.

“This is our mission; our mission is to help seniors stay at home for as long as possible and avoid nursing home placement. There is no way that we would not provide these services. We just need the money to be able to do it,” said Winter.

If the platform remains inaccessible until the end of this month, they will have paid $900,000 out of their own pockets..

“I appreciate the agency doing all it does, the care and just doing all it can do to keep me healthy,” said Igus.

The American Hospital Association has labeled the recent cyberattack as the most significant one to hit the U.S. healthcare system. The incident is currently under federal investigation.

United Health Group, the parent company, issued a statement on their website stating that Change Healthcare experienced a cybersecurity issue. They also mentioned that they have implemented multiple workarounds to ensure that healthcare providers’ claims are addressed, and people can access the necessary medications and care.

Additionally, United Health Group has advanced over $2.5 billion to care providers through their temporary funding assistance program at no cost.

Link to original story can be found here.

By: Trevor Sochocki
​
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (WFLA) — After his wife died more than a decade ago, Francis Lombardo had questions.

“When she passed away, I was wondering, where would I have to go? Maybe out on my own?” Lombardo recalled.

But the 101-year-old’s daughter said no — he would live at home with her and her husband.

“I couldn’t be more happy because that’s right now,” Lombardo said. “It’s the best thing that happened to me.”
And when he thinks about all the help he receives from his family, Lombardo gets a little emotional.

“I sit in my room and think about how much trouble they go for me,” Lombardo said as his eyes watered. “Makes me feel good.”

The World War II veteran is able to live at home with the help of funds from the Veterans Administration that assist with paying for his various needs.

“It makes it easier for us,” said Francis’s son-in-law, Paul Argus. “Gives us a little bit of more room to work and more options.”

But the VA is billed for that money from the Area Agency on Aging of Pasco-Pinellas (AAAPP), which uses Change Healthcare to do so. One month ago, Change Healthcare was hit with a cyberattack and couldn’t process any billing.

“We didn’t realize how catastrophic that was until we could not enter any information into the system,” Ann Marie Winter, executive director of the AAAPP said.

The nonprofit said it dipped into its reserves to pay $300,000 to veterans for February, and added that it only has enough saved to do that once more at the end of March.

“The longer this goes on, it’s a real financial burden for our agency,” Winter said.

In a statement to 8 On Your Side, United Health Group, the company that owns Change Healthcare, said they are making progress in restoring services.

​“We know this has been an enormous challenge for health care providers and we encourage any in need to contact us,” the statement added.

Original story with video can be found here.