Nonprofit hospitals, traditionally focused on serving lower-income populations, are increasingly adopting concierge physician practices that charge significant membership fees for enhanced access and personalized care. This trend, exemplified by major hospitals like Northwestern Medicine and Penn Medicine, involves fees that can surpass $4,000 annually, on top of regular healthcare costs. While this model can reduce doctor workload and potentially improve care for wealthier patients, it raises concerns about exacerbating primary care shortages and increasing healthcare inequities, as it limits access to those who can afford the high fees, therefore possibly redirecting resources away from general patient care. Critics argue that this approach not only strains the availability of primary care for the average population but also prioritizes higher-income individuals, hence contradicting the foundational mission of nonprofit hospitals.

Hospitals cash in on private equity-backed trend: Concierge physician care Daily Kos

Seven years after a significant cyberattack disabled access to major US websites using a distributed-denial-of-service (DDoS) attack via the Mirai botnet, the UK has legislated to counter similar threats by becoming the first country to ban default guessable usernames and passwords on IoT devices. The Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Act 2022 sets new minimum security standards for IoT device manufacturers, requiring them to inform consumers about the duration of security updates and forbidding weak default passwords to reduce the risk of cyberattacks. This legislation, enforced by the Office for Product Safety and Standards, also subjects non-compliant manufacturers to fines or recalls, highlighting a proactive approach to enhancing cybersecurity in an increasingly connected world.

UK becomes first country to ban default bad passwords on IoT devices The Record

Attorney Lynn Sessions of BakerHostetler revealed that approximately half of their healthcare sector clients end up paying ransom in ransomware attacks, despite initial reluctance. Speaking with Information Security Media Group, Sessions highlighted that the unique operational requirements of the healthcare sector, including the need to maintain patient care 24/7, make it particularly vulnerable to such attacks. The firm's 10th annual Data Security Incident Response Report, which analyzes over 1,150 security incidents across various sectors, indicates a trend of double-extortion techniques being used against healthcare organizations. Sessions advised against paying for data suppression alone, noting the complications that can arise even after paying ransoms, such as data still being leaked. She emphasized that paying a ransom does not exempt an entity from HIPAA breach reporting obligations or from potential lawsuits, underlining the complex decision-making process involved in responding to ransomware attacks and the importance of preparedness and comprehensive security measures.

Why Many Healthcare Sector Entities End Up Paying Ransoms BankInfoSecurity

The recent cyberattack on Change Healthcare, which is part of UnitedHealth Group, has highlighted significant vulnerabilities in the healthcare sector's approach to cybersecurity. The attack led to the compromise of patient data and resulted in a predicted loss of $1.6 billion for UnitedHealth, though this is not expected to significantly affect their overall financial projections for the year. Despite the financial buffer of larger companies like UnitedHealth, smaller healthcare providers have suffered extensively, facing severe operational and financial challenges similar to those experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic. This incident underscores the critical need for healthcare organizations to conduct thorough business impact analyses and establish robust cybersecurity measures, highlighting the inadequacy of current strategies largely reliant on cyber insurance and the absence of preventive planning.

Will the Change Healthcare case finally make providers do a business impact analysis? SC Magazine