March 9, 2024
WASHINGTON, DC — America’s Physician Groups (APG) expressed gratitude to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) today for moving to advance payments to physicians and other Medicare Part B providers and suppliers experiencing claims disruptions due to the Change Healthcare cyberattack.
“The newly announced Change Healthcare/Optum Payment Disruption advance payments to Part B providers/suppliers will go a long way to relieving cash-flow pressures felt by many of our members and other physician practices in the aftermath of the cyberattack,” APG’s President and CEO, Susan Dentzer, said. “We are thankful that CMS and others in the Biden administration heard our concerns and request for action, and we also appreciate that members of Congress recognized the seriousness of the situation and communicated their concerns as well. In addition, we thank UnitedHealth Group/Optum for recognizing the need to beef up its financial assistance to providers and the steps that the corporation has taken in that direction.”
APG and other colleagues in the physician community at Aledade, the American Academy of Family Physicians, and the American Medical Group Association met with CMS earlier this week to communicate concerns and describe members’ difficulties with frozen payment.
APG will now consult further with CMS to gain further details about the advance payment plan and UHG’s/Optum’s financial assistance, and will offer more information to members next week. In the meantime, APG urges its members to consult this CMS fact sheet and additional information from UHG/Optum here.
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About America’s Physician Groups
APG’s approximately 360 physician groups comprise 170,000 physicians, as well as thousands of other clinicians, providing care to nearly 90 million patients, including about 1 in 3 Medicare Advantage enrollees. APG’s motto, ‘Taking Responsibility for America’s Health,’ represents our members’ commitment to clinically integrated, coordinated, value-based health care in which physician groups are accountable for the costs and quality of patient care. Visit us at www.apg.org.
Contact: Greg Phillips, APG Director of Communications, 202-770-1901
