Healthcare Leadership Council Statement on Proposed Legislation to Improve Cybersecurity in Healthcare
WASHINGTON, DC, September 26, 2024 — The Healthcare Leadership Council (HLC), the leading health industry association representing CEOs and C-suite executives from all sectors of healthcare, issued the following statement from President and CEO Maria Ghazal in response to the Health Infrastructure Security and Accountability Act introduced today by Senate Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Senator Mark Warner (D-VA).
“No one has a greater interest in protecting healthcare networks and securing patient data than the healthcare industry itself. Our members’ ability to maintain patient confidence, provide high-quality care, and drive positive outcomes depends on robust cybersecurity. While we appreciate the Senators’ attention to this crucial issue, we believe the legislation’s focus on punishing healthcare companies is misguided.
“The healthcare industry faces increasing, aggressive cyberattacks. Instead of offering support and partnership to defend against relentless cybercriminal enterprises, this bill singles out our industry’s members for punishment.
“Looking past the punitive nature of their legislation, we see a shared goal: robust cybersecurity that protects patient data and our companies from attacks. HLC and its members have called for specific actions to safeguard the healthcare sector and are committed to being good partners with lawmakers, regulators, and industry stakeholders to enhance cybersecurity in healthcare.
“We look forward to working productively with all parties to find effective solutions that recognize the complex challenges our industry faces and provide the necessary support to combat this persistent threat.”
The Healthcare Leadership Council is an association of CEOs and C-suite executives from all sectors of healthcare working to shape the future of the U.S. healthcare system. For 35 years, HLC has been the exclusive forum for the nation’s healthcare industry leaders to lead on major, sector-wide issues, generate innovative solutions to unleash private sector ingenuity, and advocate for policies to improve our nation’s healthcare delivery system. Follow us on LinkedIn.
