The recent cyberattack on Change Healthcare underscores the need for more secure financial transactions in the dental industry, according to Brion Long, DMD.
Change Healthcare, a revenue cycle management subsidiary of Optum, was hit with a cyberattack that has been ongoing since Feb. 21. The cyberattack is affecting dental, medical and pharmaceutical companies, including dentists' abilities to process claims, the American Dental Association said Feb. 27.
The federal government has launched an investigation into UnitedHealth Group following the cyberattack, which the American Hospital Association called "most significant cyberattack" on healthcare in U.S. history.
Dr. Long, a dentist at SmileWorks Children's Dentistry and Orthodontics in Tallahassee, Fla., recently spoke with Becker's about how the cyberattack has affected his practice and the larger impact it has had on the dental industry.
Editor's note: Responses were lightly edited for clarity and length.
Question: What impact do you think the Change Healthcare cyberattack will have on the dental industry?
Dr. Brion Long: The recent cyberattack on the dental insurance sector has impacted us by causing delays in payments and leading to an increased workload due to the shift toward processing payments via paper checks. This incident has exposed the weaknesses in our current systems for financial transactions and has acted as a wake-up call for the need for innovation. It highlights the critical need for more secure and efficient transaction methods. As we address these challenges, it is becoming apparent that the future might favor the adoption of cryptocurrency and blockchain technology. These technologies offer the promise of improved security and transparency, potentially transforming the way transactions are managed and providing better protection against similar future threats. Moving toward blockchain technology could mark a pivotal moment in achieving more secure financial interactions within the dental insurance industry and beyond.