UnitedHealth CEO to testify before US House panel on cyberattack at tech unit

FILE PHOTO: The corporate logo of the UnitedHealth Group appears on the side of one of their office buildings in Santa Ana, California
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(Reuters) - UnitedHealth CEO Andrew Witty will testify before a U.S. House subcommittee on May 1 about a recent cyberattack at the company's technology unit and its impact on patients and providers, the Energy and Commerce Committee said on Friday.

The hack at Change Healthcare, a provider of healthcare billing and data systems, on Feb. 21 disrupted payments to doctors and healthcare facilities nationwide for a month.

"We look forward to learning more on what happened in the lead up to, and in the weeks following, the attack," said Cathy Rodgers, energy and commerce committee chair, and Morgan Griffith, chair of the subcommittee on oversight and investigations.

"This hearing will help inform the committee as we continue working toward solutions that protect the health and well-being of all Americans."

Individuals and smaller providers, in particular, have struggled financially following the cyberattack, threatening critical access for patients, they added.

Earlier this week, UnitedHealth said it expects the hack to cost the company up to $1.6 billion this year.

(Reporting by Christy Santhosh; Editing by Shailesh Kuber)