Published on: July 18, 2024
Three US senators have proposed new legislation designed to combat the ongoing wave of cyberattacks affecting the healthcare sector.
US Senators Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Todd Young (R-IN), and Angus King (I-MO) introduced the Healthcare Cybersecurity Act bill earlier this week to propose a collaboration between the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) that would allow them to provide better protection against cyber threats.
The legislation directs CISA and the HHS to collaborate on improving cybersecurity measures and distributing resources about cyber threat indicators and defense strategies, according to a press release. The bill also proposes the creation of a special liaison to the HSS within CISA to help coordinate responses during cyberattacks.
The Healthcare Cybersecurity Act comes after a plethora of cyberattacks on the healthcare industry. The latest significant cyberattack, which the senators point to in the bill, is the ransomware attack on the health payment platform Change Healthcare.
The attack disrupted payments to providers, prior authorization requests, and eligibility checks for weeks. The senators noted how this incident exposed significant gaps in preparation and training during the recovery process.
“The health care industry is still reeling from recent cyberattacks, and rural and small health care entities in Nevada have been particularly affected. It’s imperative that we take measures to improve cybersecurity in the health care sector to prevent data breaches and protect Nevadans, which is why I’m introducing this bipartisan legislation,” said Sen. Rosen.
Regulators and lawmakers have already taken steps to bolster In 2022, Sen. Rosen introduced similar legislation, and other lawmakers have proposed a bill requiring the HHS to perform evaluations of its cyber systems.
“These attacks and breaches of data can literally mean the difference between life and death for patients, significantly impact hospital operations, and — with the average hack costing millions to address — increase healthcare prices across the board,” Sen. King said in a statement.