UnitedHealth disclosed in a regulatory filing that its Change Healthcare division, responsible for processing prescriptions for tens of thousands of pharmacies nationwide, fell victim to hackers gaining access to its systems.

The cyberattack was detected, and the company announced that the impact was expected to extend over several days.

In its filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, UnitedHealth suggested that the cyberattack might have been orchestrated by a group of hackers backed by a foreign country.

The company stated that it had isolated the attack, alerted law enforcement, and was swiftly working to restore its systems.

While the cause of the attack is not yet confirmed, UnitedHealth is obligated to report such incidents to investors via the SEC.

The attack resembles ransomware incidents that have disrupted hospitals and healthcare networks across the U.S. over recent years.

Following these developments, the American Hospital Association advised medical facilities to disconnect from UnitedHealth's network until the situation is resolved, as they could be vulnerable to the same attackers who breached Change Healthcare.

Despite the widespread disruption, including prescription delays and frozen services at numerous pharmacies across the United States, the media response to the news has been noticeably low-key.

Despite the widespread disruption, including prescription delays and frozen services at numerous pharmacies across the United States, the media response to the news has been noticeably low-key.

In healthcare today, technology is playing a bigger role than ever before. Hospitals and medical services use computers and digital tools to help patients and manage their operations.

This shift towards digital systems has made patient data more important than ever—it's easier to access and share. Unfortunately, it also makes hospitals a target for cyberattacks.