As the Department has previously reported, Change Healthcare, which operates Vermont's Medicaid pharmacy claims system, experienced a significant cyber security issue last week. Change Healthcare has confirmed that this issue is impacting pharmacies and providers across Vermont, New England, and the country. At this time, Change Healthcare’s systems remain down, and the company has not provided a timeframe for full restoration of services.
The Department of Vermont Health Access (DVHA) will continue to ensure that pharmacies have the resources and instructions they need to continue providing access to prescriptions for eligible Medicaid members. Last week, DVHA issued payments to pharmacies in order to ensure that they are able to remain operational while the Change Healthcare system is down. The Department is working closely with pharmacies to ensure their needs are met, and we will continue to do so.
The Department understands that pharmacies are experiencing increased administrative burden during this time in order to provide access to medications while the Change Healthcare system is down. We are asking our members to please be patient as this increased workload may create delays at pharmacies. DVHA would like to acknowledge that the vast majority of pharmacies are working diligently to comply with guidance from the state. We appreciate the continued efforts of Vermont’s dedicated pharmacists and providers as we work together to manage this outage and maintain access to prescriptions for our members.
DVHA remains committed to transparency and open communication with pharmacies, members, and the public. We will continue to provide updates as the situation develops. We continue to ask for patience and flexibility from providers, pharmacies, and members as we work diligently with our partners to resolve this issue.
To ensure that all impacted providers are identified and can continue providing access, DVHA is asking providers who have been impacted by this cyber security issue to please contact AHS.DVHAChangeHealthcareServiceOutage@vermont.gov.