UnitedHealth Confirms ALPHV/BlackCat Ransomware Attack on Change Healthcare
Cyberattack Disrupts U.S. Pharmacy Operations Nationwide
American healthcare giant UnitedHealth Group has officially confirmed that its subsidiary Change Healthcare suffered a ransomware attack by the notorious ALPHV/BlackCat cybercrime group. The incident continues to cause widespread disruptions across U.S. pharmacies and healthcare systems.
Key Details of the Attack
- Confirmed Threat Actor: ALPHV/BlackCat, a Russia-based ransomware gang
- Systems Affected: Change Healthcare’s infrastructure (Optum and UnitedHealthcare systems remain unaffected)
- Response Team: UnitedHealth is collaborating with Mandiant, Palo Alto Networks, and law enforcement
- Potential Data Exposure: Hackers claim to have stolen sensitive health data of millions
“Our experts are working to address the matter,” said Tyler Mason, UnitedHealth VP, in an official statement. “We’re actively assessing the impact on members, patients, and customers.”
ALPHV/BlackCat’s Involvement
The cybercriminals briefly claimed responsibility on their dark web leak site before removing the post—a common tactic during ransom negotiations. UnitedHealth has not confirmed whether:
- A ransom was paid
- Negotiations are ongoing
- The stolen data contains patient records
Widespread Healthcare Disruptions
Impact on Pharmacy Services
Since the February 21 attack, Change Healthcare’s systems remain largely offline, affecting:
- Prescription processing at 67,000+ U.S. pharmacies
- Insurance verification for hospital stays
- Medical billing systems nationwide
Military Impact: Tricare reports global disruptions to military pharmacy services
Nebraska Case Study: Most hospitals cannot process insurance claims or provide cost estimates
About Change Healthcare
- Processes 15 billion healthcare transactions annually (1 in 3 U.S. patient records)
- Merged with Optum in 2022 in a $7.8 billion deal
- Handles prescription billing for most major U.S. pharmacies
Expert Analysis
Brett Callow, Emsisoft threat analyst, warns:
“The ransomware epidemic is escalating. Without government intervention, critical services face potentially catastrophic disruptions.”
Investigation Status
- No confirmed link between ALPHV/BlackCat and nation-state actors
- ConnectWise confirms their systems weren’t the attack vector
- Full system restoration timeline remains unclear
Financial Context
- UnitedHealth reported $22 billion profit in 2023
- CEO compensation reached $21 million last fiscal year
TechCrunch’s Carly Page contributed reporting.
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