The May 1 hearing at the House Energy and Commerce oversight subcommittee will be the first time Witty appears in the House. The panel’s health subcommittee held a hearing this week about the hack, but no representatives from United testified. Americans are still dealing with the fallout of the Change Healthcare hack. Individuals and smaller providers, in particular, have struggled financially following the cyberattack, threatening critical access for patients. Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.) and oversight subcommittee chair Morgan Griffith (R-Va.) said in a joint statement Friday that they are disappointed that UnitedHealth could not join the recent Health Subcommittee hearing on cybersecurity, and they look forward to learning more on what happened in the lead up to, and in the weeks following, the attack.
Change Healthcare is the country’s largest medical claims processor, serving as a sort of clearinghouse of data for health insurers and providers. February’s cyberattack sent shockwaves through the whole health industry, even halting operations at some clinics and hospitals. Billions of dollars in payments to providers were held up, and Change still hasn’t fully recovered.
During the hearing this week, lawmakers expressed frustration that nobody from United, which acquired Change in 2022, attended. There was talk of a possible subpoena. Witty is expected to testify soon before the Senate Finance Committee.