Health Policy: From the Editor

The recent cyberattack on Change Healthcare has been called the most pervasive and damaging of its type in U.S. history.¹ Change is a third-party healthcare technology company that, by its own account, touches 1 in every 3 patient records and processes 15 billion transactions annually.² After the attack, Change shut down its systems to prevent further breaches, which left tens of thousands of healthcare providers unable to electronically fill prescriptions, verify insurance eligibility, obtain prior authorizations, or submit reimbursement claims.

We are very excited to welcome you to UroToday’s new Health Policy Center of Excellence. Although the practice of medicine has always been profoundly shaped by the sociopolitical landscape, the COVID-19 pandemic was a stark reminder of how healthcare and policy rely heavily on each other to ensure a functioning and healthy society. Urology may be a small field, but even two decades ago, the estimated cost burden of urological diseases in Americans exceeded $11 billion.¹ Despite this, the voice of the urologist is often missing from legislation and healthcare initiatives.