AMA on HHS response to Change Healthcare cyber incident

Statement attributed to:
Jesse M. Ehrenfeld, MD, MPH
President, American Medical Association

“The American Medical Association credits the Department of Health and Human Services and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services for responding to the urgent situation caused by the Change Healthcare cyber security incident and the unprecedent disruptions to medical practices and access to care. The newly announced flexibilities that have been put in place are a welcome first step, but we urge CMS to recognize that physicians are experiencing financial struggles that threaten the viability of many medical practices. Many physician practices operate on thin margins, and we are especially concerned about the impact on small and/or rural practices, as well as those that care for the underserved. The AMA urges federal officials to go above and beyond what has been put in place and include financial assistance such as advanced payments for physicians.”

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About the American Medical Association

The American Medical Association is the physicians’ powerful ally in patient care. As the only medical association that convenes 190+ state and specialty medical societies and other critical stakeholders, the AMA represents physicians with a unified voice to all key players in health care.  The AMA leverages its strength by removing the obstacles that interfere with patient care, leading the charge to prevent chronic disease and confront public health crises and, driving the future of medicine to tackle the biggest challenges in health care.