Bipartisan Senators Introduce Healthcare Cybersecurity Bill

A bipartisan group of U.S. Senators has introduced the Health Care Cybersecurity and Resiliency Act of 2024 to enhance cybersecurity in the healthcare sector amid rising cyber threats. Led by Senators Bill Cassidy, Mark Warner, John Cornyn, and Maggie Hassan, the bill aims to provide grants for healthcare organizations to improve their defenses against cyberattacks and to foster best practices in cybersecurity. Additionally, it mandates better coordination between the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) to respond effectively to cyber incidents. The legislation particularly focuses on supporting rural health clinics and underserved communities in bolstering their cybersecurity measures. Cassidy emphasized that protecting sensitive health data is crucial, as breaches not only risk patient information but can also delay critical healthcare services. This initiative follows alarming statistics, with 89 million Americans impacted by health data breaches in 2023, more than double the previous year.