Democratic senators reintroduce bill outlining stiffer cybersecurity standards, $1.3B hospital implementation assistance
Legislation reintroduced by Sens. Warner and Wyden sets aside voluntary cybersecurity standards for tighter enforcement, but would also give hospitals $1.3 billion to make it happen.
Democratic senators Mark Warner and Ron Wyden have reintroduced the Health Infrastructure Security and Accountability Act, aiming to strengthen healthcare cybersecurity standards and allocate $1.3 billion in federal funds for upgrading hospitals' protections. The bill, introduced last week by Warner, vice chairman of the Select Committee on Intelligence, and Wyden, ranking member of the budget committee, echoes their 2024 proposal, emphasizing that cyberattacks on healthcare institutions have surged in frequency and complexity since then.
Warner stated, "As cybercriminals ramp up their attacks on hospitals and health care providers, it’s becoming increasingly clear that voluntary standards are not enough to protect Americans’ health, safety, and privacy." The legislation would mandate the Health and Human Services Department to set new minimum cybersecurity protocols for healthcare entities and associates within two years, with stricter requirements for those deemed "systemic" or of national security importance.
By year three, covered entities must conduct and document security risk analyses, attesting to compliance with applicable standards.
Noncompliant entities face civil penalties, with a capped user fee. The bill also allocates $800 million in upfront payments to 2,000 rural and urban safety net hospitals over two years, followed by an additional $500 million for all Medicare hospitals adhering to enhanced cybersecurity standards. Despite the hospital industry's historical resistance to mandatory security and privacy standards, Warner and Wyden's bill aims to provide substantial financial support to ease implementation burdens.
With the government funded through mid-December and midterm elections underway, new federal healthcare legislation is expected to be passed in early December or later, as the current Republican-controlled Congress has largely focused on reducing healthcare funding amidst the cybersecurity threat.
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