Pharmacies all over, including here in Maine, are dealing with a big headache because of a cyberattack. It’s making it tough for some people, especially those who really need their meds, to get what they need.
So, UnitedHealth, the company that owns Change Healthcare, noticed something fishy on Wednesday – a cyber security threat. They took action fast, isolating the problem to stop it from spreading.
But even though they’re working on fixing things, there are still a lot of issues hanging around, causing problems for pharmacists and patients alike.
Amelia Arnold, who’s VP at Community Pharmacies in Maine, says this is a big deal. See, Change Healthcare does two important jobs: managing pharmacy benefits and figuring out prices. But with things messed up, it’s making life hard for pharmacies and patients.
Depending on where you go, some pharmacies can’t process claims at all. And for Community Pharmacies, the biggest headache is with MaineCare. They’re having a tough time figuring out what’s covered and what’s not.
The Maine Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) confirmed the mess, saying that MaineCare’s pharmacy system is down because of the cyberattack. Luckily, there’s no sign that anyone’s personal info got out, but pharmacies can’t get paid for MaineCare prescriptions for now.
To help out MaineCare members, DHHS said pharmacies can give them a 3-day supply of meds while things get sorted.
Some folks, like Brittain, didn’t have any trouble at certain pharmacies, like Walgreens. But others had a rough time.
CVS says they’re doing their best to make sure folks can still get their meds during this mess, but it’s a bit of a mixed bag depending on where you go.
Arnold says there’s no playbook for dealing with this kind of thing, so everyone’s just doing their best to figure it out.
Long story short, this cyberattack on Change Healthcare is causing headaches for pharmacies everywhere, including right here in Maine. And even though folks are trying to fix it, there are still a lot of problems to deal with.
