United Health Care Data Breach: Impact and Response

Senator Maggie Hassan has been pushing United Health to notify patients of compromised data and improve cybersecurity in critical infrastructure, including healthcare.

### Senator Maggie Hassan on United Health Care Data Breach Fallout, Cybersecurity for Critical Infrastructure, and Maternal Health and Immigration Issues
* 🔒 Senator Maggie Hassan has been urging United Health Care to notify patients about the data breach, which has led to a **significant revenue drop for New Hampshire hospitals** and the **compromise of individual patient information**.
* 🌐 As the chair of the Emerging Threats Subcommittee on Homeland Security, Senator Hassan focuses on requiring private companies to **enhance cybersecurity for critical infrastructure** to prevent **single points of failure**.
* 🏥 Senator Hassan is working on bipartisan legislation to provide federal grants to all rural health care providers for **critical training and equipment to deal with obstetric emergencies**, as the closure of labor and delivery units has made it challenging for women to access maternal care.
* 🛃 While President Biden's executive orders on immigration are a step in the right direction, Senator Hassan emphasizes the need for Congress to **pass legislation to achieve a more secure border and modernize the asylum system**.
* 🛂 To address the problem upstream and reduce the number of people attempting to cross the border, Senator Hassan believes that **processing asylum cases quickly** and **deporting those who do not qualify swiftly** are crucial.
* 💬 "You can't have an orderly and humane border consistent with our values and our laws if you don't have a **secure border**."

WELCOME BACK TO CLOSE UP AND OUR EXTENDED CONVERSATION WITH SENATOR MAGGIE HASSAN. SENATOR, THANKS FOR BEING HERE. THANKS FOR HAVING ME. SO YOU'VE BEEN TRACKING THE FALLOUT FROM THIS DATA BREACH AT UNITED HEALTH CARE. WE'VE REPORTED ON THIS. IT'S KNOWN PUBLICLY, BUT IT FEELS LIKE PEOPLE MAY NOT UNDERSTAND THE SCOPE OF JUST HOW MUCH DATA WAS TAKEN HERE, HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE AT RISK, AND YOU'VE BEEN TRYING TO PUSH FOR BETTER NOTIFICATION? EASTON EXPLAIN. SO UNITED HEALTH CARE CONTROLS A SIGNIFICANT IT SYSTEM THAT PROCESSES HEALTH CARE CLAIMS AND PAYMENTS. RIGHT. AND SO WHEN THEY GOT HACKED, WE REALIZED THEY REALIZED THAT THERE WAS THIS SINGLE POINT OF FAILURE IN A PIECE OF CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE. AND FOR NEW HAMPSHIRE HOSPITALS

ESPECIALLY ABOUT FIVE OF THEM. THEY SAW THEIR REVENUES PLUMMET BY LIKE 98% IN THE FIRST WEEK OR TWO AFTER THIS BREACH. IN ADDITION, THE BREACH MEANS THAT IT IS POSSIBLE THAT INDIVIDUAL PATIENT INFORMATION THAT IS IN THAT SYSTEM HAS BEEN COMPROMISED. AND UNITED HEALTH HAS AN OBLIGATION UNDER HIPAA TO NOTIFY PATIENTS. CONSUMERS IF THEIR PERSONAL INFORMATION MAY HAVE BEEN COMPROMISED. AND THEY HAVE YET TO DO THAT. SO I HAVE BEEN PUSHING THEM. NOT ONLY TO GET TO THE BOTTOM OF HOW THE HACK OCCURRED AND WORKING WITH MY COLLEAGUES TO THINK THROUGH HOW WE PREVENT THESE KINDS OF SINGLE POINTS OF FAILURE IN THE FUTURE. BUT ALSO REALLY PUSHING UNITED HEALTH TO NOTIFY ITS CUSTOMERS. ITS PATIENTS. THAT THEIR INFORMATION MAY HAVE BEEN COMPROMISED.

THAT'S SOMETHING PEOPLE HAVE A RIGHT TO KNOW. YOU TALK ABOUT THE FUTURE, AND YOU KNOW YOU SERVE ON THE EMERGING THREAT SUBCOMMITTEE. YOU CHAIR THAT ON HOMELAND SECURITY. YOU KNOW, IN THE DIGITAL REALM, THE INDIVIDUAL FEELS VERY MUCH AT THE MERCY OF THESE MASSIVE FORCES. YOU KNOW, MULTINATIONAL CRIMINAL ORGANIZATIONS, BAD FAITH STATE ACTORS. YOU TALKED ABOUT CORPORATIONS, AND THEY'VE GOT A BOTTOM LINE. THEY MAY NOT ALWAYS BE WILLING TO WORRY THE MOST ABOUT THE CUSTOMER AND THEIR DIGITAL PRIVACY. YOU KNOW, IT SEEMS LIKE THE, YOU KNOW, THE LITTLE GUY IS JUST FIGHTING THIS UPHILL BATTLE. WHAT CAN OR SHOULD THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT BE DOING TO HELP PROTECT THE INDIVIDUAL IN THE

DIGITAL REALM? BECAUSE SELF-DEFENSE OBVIOUSLY DOESN'T CUT IT. YOU KNOW, FOR FULL DEFENSE. RIGHT. LOOK, SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I FOCUS ON IS, FIRST OF ALL, WHAT, UM, WHAT SYSTEMS IMPACT OUR CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE. SO HEALTH CARE, WATER, ELECTRICITY. BE THE COLONIAL GAS PIPELINE IS ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE. AND WHAT WE'RE REALLY FOCUSED ON IN THE EMERGING THREATS COMMITTEE IS FINDING WAYS TO REQUIRE THE PRIVATE COMPANIES THAT OFTEN CONTROL THESE LINES OF CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE TO HAVE THE KIND OF CYBERSECURITY IN PLACE THAT WILL PREVENT THESE KINDS OF SINGLE POINTS OF FAILURE IN THE AI REALM. UM, WE'RE LOOKING AT WHAT KIND OF SAFETY PREREQUISITES THEY HAVE TO HAVE IN THEIR SYSTEMS.

RIGHT? AND TRYING TO MAKE SURE TO AND WE HAVE PASSED LEGISLATION THAT DOES THIS, TO REQUIRE PRIVATE ENTITIES TO NOTIFY THE GOVERNMENT WHEN THEY'VE HAD A HACK WITHIN A VERY SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME, SO THAT WE CAN PREVENT IT FROM HAPPENING ELSEWHERE. AT THE END OF THE DAY, THIS IS ABOUT REQUIRING INVESTMENTS IN CYBERSECURITY AND MAKING SURE THAT THE PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THE PUBLIC SECTOR AND THE PRIVATE SECTOR, WHEN IT COMES TO CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE, IS STRONG, AND PEOPLE ARE USING BEST PRACTICES. AND THAT'S WHAT WE CONTINUE TO WORK TOWARDS. ON OUR COMMITTEE. YOU MENTIONED THE RURAL HOSPITALS AND THE DIFFICULTY THAT THIS DATA BREACH CAUSED FOR THEM. OBVIOUSLY, WE'VE SEEN MORE AND MORE PROBLEMS GETTING HEALTH CARE TO PEOPLE IN REMOTE AREAS.

IN THIS COUNTRY. AND MATERNAL MENTAL HEALTH AND MATERNAL HEALTH HAVE BEEN HUGE. WE'RE SEEING, YOU KNOW, MATERNITY CARE DESERTS. WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE ON MATERNAL MENTAL HEALTH IN PARTICULAR? IT'S ALREADY STRESSFUL. YOU KNOW, HAVING A KID, IT'S ALREADY STRESSFUL FOR WOMEN. I'M SURE BEING PREGNANT AND ALL OF THESE THINGS. IF YOU CAN'T GET THE HEALTH CARE THAT MENTAL HEALTH GOT, GETS EVEN WORSE, I'M SURE. AND I WILL JUST NOTE THAT THE BREACH IMPACTED MANCHESTER HOSPITALS TOO. SO IT WASN'T JUST RURAL HOSPITALS. BUT WHEN IT COMES TO RURAL HEALTH CARE, PARTICULARLY FOR WOMEN, WHAT WE'VE SEEN OVER THE LAST TWO DECADES IN NEW HAMPSHIRE IS THE CLOSING OF 11

LABOR AND DELIVERY UNITS, AND THAT MEANS THAT WOMEN HAVE FARTHER TO GO TO GET TO A LABOR AND DELIVERY CENTER. THEY HAVE FARTHER TO GO TO TO GET TO AN OBSTETRICIAN FOR PRENATAL CARE, FOR LABOR AND DELIVERY CARE, FOR POSTPARTUM CARE. ONE OF THE THINGS I'M WORKING ON WITH SENATOR KATIE BRITT, BIPARTISAN LEGISLATION, EASTON TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL RURAL HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS HAVE CRITICAL TRAINING TO DEAL, FOR INSTANCE, WITH AN OBSTETRIC EMERGENCY ROOM. SO I VISITED SPEAR HOSPITAL RECENTLY. THEY'VE GOT A LABOR AND DELIVERY CENTER. IT'S SMALL, BUT THEY NEED CRITICAL EQUIPMENT, AND THEY NEED TO KEEP THEIR TRAINING UP TO DATE TO MAKE SURE THAT THEIR PERSONNEL HAS THE RIGHT TOOLS IN

PLACE TO DEAL WITH ANY KIND OF EMERGENCY. NOW, THERE ARE LABOR AND DELIVERY CENTER, BUT OTHER EMERGENCY ROOMS THROUGHOUT THE HOSPITAL, THROUGHOUT THE STATE ALSO NEED THAT KIND OF TRAINING AND THAT KIND OF EQUIPMENT. SO OUR BILL WOULD PROVIDE FEDERAL GRANTS TO RURAL HOSPITALS TO HAVE THE RIGHT TRAINING AND EQUIPMENT, EVEN IF THEY DON'T HAVE A REGULAR OBSTETRICIAN ON STAFF, AND THEN WOULD ALSO ESTABLISH A TELEHEALTH CONNECTION. SO THAT WHEREVER YOU ARE IN THE COUNTRY, IF YOU ARE A DOCTOR OR A HEALTH CARE PROVIDER, YOU'RE HELPING SOMEBODY IN AN OBSTETRIC EMERGENCY, YOU CAN GET IMMEDIATE EXPERT ADVICE AND COUNSEL IN THAT MOMENT. SO WE'RE JUST TRYING TO THINK OF EVERY WAY WE CAN TO MAKE SURE THE WOMEN IN AMERICA HAVE ACCESS

TO TOP NOTCH MATERNAL CARE. LET'S TURN TO IMMIGRATION. OBVIOUSLY, AT THE SOUTHERN BORDER, THE PROBLEM PERSISTS. THE PRESIDENT HAS EXECUTIVE ORDERS NOW TRYING TO DEAL WITH THE ISSUE. AND I KNOW YOU WANTED TO PASS THE IMMIGRATION BILL, BUT DO YOU THINK THESE EXECUTIVE ORDERS WILL DO ENOUGH TO TRY TO SOLVE SOME OF THOSE PROBLEMS? WELL, I THINK THE EXECUTIVE ORDERS ARE AN IMPORTANT STEP, TO BE SURE. BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE NEED A MORE SECURE BORDER. SOUTHERN BORDER. WE NEED A MORE SECURE NORTHERN BORDER. THAT ONLY IS GOING TO HAPPEN NOT ONLY WITH ADDITIONAL RESOURCES, BUT WITH CHANGES IN OUR LAW. FOR INSTANCE, MAKING OUR ASYLUM SYSTEM MORE MODERN.

MORE UP TO DATE AND FASTER. SOME OF THOSE MEASURES REQUIRE CONGRESS TO ACTUALLY CHANGE THE LAW. AND THAT'S WHY IT IS SO DISAPPOINTING TO ME THAT AFTER FOUR MONTHS OF NEGOTIATIONS, WHERE A REPUBLICAN AND INDEPENDENT AND DEMOCRAT WORKED REALLY AROUND THE CLOCK NEGOTIATING THE MOST COMPREHENSIVE BORDER SECURITY BILL IN DECADES WITH SENATOR LANKFORD, THE REPUBLICAN, GOING BACK TO HIS CAUCUS TIME AND TIME AGAIN TO GET THEIR BUY IN AND APPROVAL ON THE BILL, IT FINALLY GOT DONE. AND THEN WHAT WE SAW WAS PRESIDENT TRUMP SAYING THAT HE DIDN'T WANT THE REPUBLICANS TO HELP SOLVE THE ISSUE AT THE BORDER, BECAUSE HE WANTED TO KEEP THE ISSUE ALIVE FOR THE ELECTION. SO PUTTING HIS POLITICAL INTERESTS BEFORE THE SECURITY

INTERESTS OF THE COUNTRY. I'LL JUST NOTE THAT THAT BIPARTISAN BILL WAS SUPPORTED BY THE COUNCIL OF BORDER PROTECTION AGENTS. I FORGET THE FORMAL NAME, BUT THIS IS ONE OF THE MOST CONSERVATIVE LAW ENFORCEMENT GROUPS IN THE COUNTRY. SAID THIS WAS A REALLY GOOD BILL AND WOULD ACTUALLY IMPROVE THINGS. SO I THINK PRESIDENT BIDEN IS DOING WHAT HE CAN, BUT THERE'S ONLY SO MUCH A PRESIDENT CAN DO WITH AN EXECUTIVE ORDER. IT SHOULD HELP, BUT IT'S NOT ENOUGH. AND WE NEED TO PASS THIS LEGISLATION. AND IT'S REALLY FRUSTRATING AND CONCERNING THAT THE REPUBLICANS IN THIS CASE ARE PUTTING POLITICS BEFORE THE BEST INTERESTS OF THE COUNTRY. NO MATTER WHAT REGIME IS IN PLACE, THOUGH, OR WHAT SET OF LAWS.

IT SEEMS LIKE YOU HAVE PEOPLE WHO ARE COMING HERE AGAIN AND AGAIN. AND IF FOLKS WHO ARE DEPORTED, THEY COME BACK AGAIN AND AGAIN. THEY'RE LOOKING FOR THAT OPPORTUNITY, OBVIOUSLY, TO BETTER THEIR LIVES. WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE TO TRY TO ADDRESS THE PROBLEM UPSTREAM, POTENTIALLY HAVE FEWER PEOPLE TRYING TO CROSS THE BORDER TO BEGIN WITH? WELL, ONE OF THE THINGS WE KNOW IS THAT IF WE WERE ABLE TO PROCESS ASYLUM CASES QUICKLY. YOU KNOW, SO YOU COME IN ARTICULATE. FIRST OF ALL, CHANGE THE STANDARD MODESTLY ABOUT WHAT THE APPLICANTS CLAIM NEEDS TO BE IN ORDER TO GET ASYLUM. BUT MAKE A HIGHER STANDARD. BUT ALSO MAKE SURE THAT IF SOMEBODY SHOULD BE DEPORTED, THEY ARE DEPORTED QUITE QUICKLY. WHAT WE KNOW IS THAT WHEN THAT

WORD GETS OUT THAT IF YOU ARE APPREHENDED AT THE BORDER, OR IF YOU SHOW UP AT A PORT OF ENTRY, AND YOU DON'T QUALIFY FOR ASYLUM, YOU'RE GOING TO BE DEPORTED VERY QUICKLY. UH, OUR UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THAT WILL HELP, UH, LIMIT THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO TRY TO CROSS, EITHER AT THE PORT OF ENTRY, OR IN BETWEEN THE PORTS OF ENTRY. SO THAT'S AN IMPORTANT FIRST STEP. JUST GETTING THE WORD OUT THAT YOU CAN'T STAY KIND OF INDEFINITELY IN THE UNITED STATES WHILE YOU'RE WAITING FOR YOUR ASYLUM CLAIM TO BE HEARD, BECAUSE WE'RE GOING TO HEAR THAT MUCH MORE QUICKLY. BUT WE NEED MORE PERSONNEL. WE NEED MORE TECHNOLOGY. WE OBVIOUSLY HAVE NEW TECHNOLOGY THAT HELPS US, FOR INSTANCE, DETECT FENTANYL AT THE BORDER MUCH MORE EFFECTIVELY.

BUT WE NEED A LOT MORE OF IT, AND THAT REQUIRES FUNDING. AND AGAIN, IT'S BEEN DISAPPOINTING THAT OUR REPUBLICANS WON'T REALLY JOIN WITH US RIGHT NOW IN TAKING SOME OF THESE MEASURES TO REALLY, UH, LOWER THE FLOW THAT WE ARE SEEING. YOU CAN'T HAVE AN ORDERLY AND HUMANE BORDER CONSISTENT WITH OUR VALUES AND OUR LAWS IF YOU DON'T HAVE A SECURE BORDER. ALL RIGHT, SENATOR HASSAN.

Maggie Hassan pushes major health insurer to notify victims of data breach | CloseUp

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Senator Maggie Hassan's Efforts to Address the United Health Care Data Breach

Senator Hassan is pushing for better notification of the scope of the data breach and the potential risks to individuals' personal information.

The breach has caused a significant drop in revenue for New Hampshire hospitals and could have compromised patient information, but United Health has not yet notified its customers as required by HIPAA.

Senator Hassan is also focused on preventing future breaches and addressing the challenges individuals face in the digital realm, advocating for the federal government to take action in protecting people's digital privacy from massive forces and corporations.

The Focus on Cybersecurity for Critical Infrastructure

Private companies controlling critical infrastructure are being required to implement cybersecurity measures to prevent cyber attacks.

Legislation has been passed to ensure that these entities promptly notify the government of any hacks.

The goal is to strengthen the partnership between the public and private sectors in investing in cybersecurity for critical infrastructure.

Senators are working on bipartisan legislation to provide critical training and equipment to rural healthcare providers for obstetric emergencies.

The proposed bill aims to offer federal grants to rural hospitals and establish a telehealth connection to ensure immediate expert advice for healthcare providers dealing with obstetric emergencies.

The senators are focused on improving access to top-notch maternal care for women in America.

The Impact of Political Interests on Border Security

- President Trump's decision to keep the border issue alive for the election, despite a comprehensive bipartisan border security bill, has prioritized political interests over national security.

- The Republicans' prioritization of politics over the country's best interests is frustrating and concerning, as bipartisan support for the bill was significant.

- Quick processing of asylum cases and deportation, along with a slightly higher standard for asylum applicants, could help address the upstream problem of repeated border crossing attempts.

Efforts to Control Border Crossings and Asylum Claims

Efforts are being made to quickly deport those who don't qualify for asylum in order to limit the number of people attempting to cross the border.

More personnel and technology are needed to enhance border security, including the detection of fentanyl, but this requires funding.

There is a need for bipartisan cooperation to lower the flow of migrants and achieve an orderly and humane border that is consistent with American values and laws.