UnitedHealth says a wide swath of patient files may have been taken in cyberattack

Change Healthcare, owned by UnitedHealth Group, suffered a major cyberattack on Feb. 21, affecting the U.S. health care system and over 100 hospitals in Florida. The company revealed that the attack may have compromised files containing personal information, potentially affecting a significant portion of the American population.

While there's no evidence of complete medical histories being leaked, the company is still analyzing the situation and may take several months to identify and notify affected individuals. The attack disrupted health care payments, with the company responsible for processing billions of transactions annually and matching up bills with insurance coverage.

UnitedHealth Group Inc. runs one of the largest health insurers and pharmacy benefits management businesses in the country.