A healthcare cybersecurity bill with bipartisan support has moved forward in the U.S. Senate.
The Healthcare Cybersecurity Act would direct HHS and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency to work together to improve cybersecurity resiliency for the healthcare and public health sectors. The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee approved the bill July 31, and the legislation now goes before the full Senate.
In a statement, U.S. Sen. Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., said recent cyberattacks on the industry "highlighted the urgent need for a strategy and interagency coordination to protect against mounting threats." In recent months, claims processing giant Change Healthcare and St. Louis-based Ascension, the nation's second-largest nonprofit health system, both fell victim to ransomware attacks.