Nebraska AG Sues Change Healthcare Over Data Breach

Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers filed a suit on December 16 against Change Healthcare over the data breach that occurred last February that comprised the private information of at least 575,000 Nebraskans.

The Attorney General’s lawsuit highlighted failures such as outdated IT systems, an inadequate response to the breach, delays in notifying customers of the breach, financial and operational burdens, and significant harm to Nebraska patients.

“Healthcare providers, including critical access hospitals in rural areas, have unfairly been forced to absorb financial pain, forcing major cash flow issues and, in some cases, delayed services. And to make matters worse, Change has woefully disregarded the duty to provide notice to Nebraskans, depriving them of a fighting chance to be prepared for possible scams and fraud. We’re filing this suit to hold Change accountable,” Hilgers said in a statement. “A functioning medical marketplace needs to have a trustworthy medical payments backbone. It requires companies who do what they say they will do.”

The Attorney General’s Office is calling on Nebraska healthcare providers who may have been affected by this cyberattack to come forward.