Providers are beginning to raise the alarm about cashflow issues they anticipate facing due to the February 21 Change Healthcare cyberattack and ongoing outage. UnitedHealth Group (UHG) announced it will be offering a Temporary Assistance Funding Program (TAFP) for providers who receive payments from payers that use the Change Healthcare system.

Some groups have raised concerns that this does not help those who are experiencing claim submission disruptions. Providers who are uncertain if they meet the eligibility criteria can submit a temporary funding inquiry form to confirm.

The TAFP is designed to be an interest-free and fee-free loan program for eligible providers. Providers will be expected to repay the loan once the Change Healthcare system resumes processing claims. UHG will pay these temp funds weekly through an ACH deposit to provider bank accounts and the amount will be based upon providers’ historical claims volume. 

To enroll in the program, providers must login to their existing Optum Pay account or set up a new basic Optum Pay account. (Providers who received Provider Relief funds or American Rescue Plan rural funds likely already have an existing account). Once logged in, providers are able to see if they are eligible for the program and the amounts they would receive if they enroll.

Providers are encouraged to seek additional information on the terms and conditions of the loan and review it carefully. The UHG TAFP website does not provide details about the terms and conditions of this loan program or information about how loans will be repaid and the timing. Some provider organizations have suggested that they have seen the terms and conditions. The American Hospital Association assessment of the UHG program is it is inadequate and the terms and conditions are unfair including provisions such as short repayment timeframes upon notice. (e.g. five days) and giving Optum Financial Services the ability to recoup money from the provider without advance notice. LeadingAge has not yet confirmed these details. 

LeadingAge also encourages providers to explore other options for receiving advanced or accelerated payments as outlined in our article, “Change Healthcare Cyberattack: Implications for Cash Flow and Potential Provider Solutions.”

Keep up with the latest from LeadingAge on this cyberattack.