UnitedHealth Group is asking healthcare providers to begin repaying loans that were issued to them following a massive cyberattack on its Change Healthcare division last year. The ransomware attack, which occurred in February 2024, shut down key payment and processing systems across the U.S. healthcare network, leading to major financial disruptions for providers.
In response to the crisis, UnitedHealth launched a temporary, interest-free loan program to help medical practices maintain cash flow during the outage. Over $9 billion was distributed. Now, more than a year later, providers say they’re being pressured to repay those loans, often with little warning.
Emails and letters sent by UnitedHealth’s Optum unit have reportedly demanded full repayment and warned of reimbursement withholdings if payments aren’t made.
“We are not in any position to start repaying this loan,” said Dr. Christine Meyer, an internist in Pennsylvania, who received a demand letter from Optum on April 1 giving her five days to repay her practice’s $756,000 loan. “Repaying them $750,000 in five days is obviously not going to happen.”
Healthcare Providers Say Terms Have Shifted Without Warning
Many doctors say they feel blindsided. While Optum had initially indicated repayment would begin once practices regained financial stability, providers now claim they’ve been caught off guard by sudden demands. Some report having reimbursements garnished to cover the debt.
Dr. Catherine Mazzola, a pediatric neurosurgeon in New Jersey, reported that her practice lost $68,000 in Medicaid reimbursements over a six-week span, and had already paid $40,000 out-of-pocket since the cyberattack.
A statement she received confirmed the withheld reimbursements were used to repay loan amounts under their agreement. Change Healthcare acknowledged that it has begun recovering the no-interest loans given to providers, now that services have been restored more than a year after the breach.
In response, the American Medical Association (AMA) criticized the move, stating that business conditions for many providers remain unstable. The AMA urged Optum to uphold its prior commitment to allow repayment only when physicians confirm their financial recovery, and called for more flexible, individualized terms.
UnitedHealth Group has not publicly commented further. As of now, providers across the country remain uncertain about what financial demands may come next — and how they’ll meet them.