The sample email below contains details that participants in the Group Health Program should know about changes to NTCA Benefits' payment processes resulting from the recent Change Healthcare cyber attack. To use, please copy the text below, paste it into your email program and replace any highlighted items with your specific company information.
March 6, 2024
Dear Group Health Program Participants,
NTCA Benefits, the administrator for [Company Name]'s Group Health Program benefits, recently notified us about a third-party cybersecurity event that affected a vendor that processes certain transactions for NTCA. The third-party, Change Healthcare (CHC), experienced a ransomware attack that disabled access to its IT systems, causing a system-wide outage.
Several of NTCA's processes for administering benefits have been affected. Upon learning about the cybersecurity event, NTCA staff reacted quickly to create process alternatives and minimize disruptions to plan participants. Some of these alternative processes require manual procedures, so you may notice some delays in receiving some payments, reimbursements or communications related to medical, dental and disability claims. A representative from NTCA may contact you directly to inform you of any changes that affect you.
What You Should Know
NTCA is taking all reasonable measures to deliver services as expected for the following payment processes:
- Short-term disability benefit payments
- Long-term disability benefit payments
- Flex (Section 125) reimbursement payments, including medical and dependent care
- Section 105 reimbursement payments
If you receive payments for any of these benefits, here is what you should know.
If You Receive Payment by Check
- You will receive a check directly from NTCA.
- This check will look different than previous checks and will be signed by NTCA Chief Financial Officer Mano Koilpillai.
- You may notice delays in receiving your check due to manual processing procedures.
- Participants are eligible to enroll in Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT), which could expedite your payment. To enroll, log in to your account on NTCA's Health Claims Inquiry site at ntca.org/MyGHPClaims, then select Electronic Transactions Setup from the Quick Links section on the upper right-hand side of the page to access the form.
If You Receive Payment by Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT)
- Payments will continue to be distributed electronically.
- You may notice a different transaction description for this deposit in your bank account register.
- Most EFT payments will be delivered on schedule; however, delays are possible.
Other Important Information
As noted above, participants who have elected to receive payments and reimbursements through Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) are likely to receive more timely payments than those who receive physical checks. We encourage you to enroll in EFT through NTCA's Health Claims Inquiry site at ntca.org/MyGHPClaims. Once you log in, select Electronic Transactions Setup from the Quick Links section on the upper right-hand side of the page.
NTCA can confirm that our prescription drug partner Express Scripts has not been impacted by this cybersecurity event; however, many local pharmacies—particularly small, independent providers—have been affected. Some may struggle to fulfill prescriptions because they have less cash to cover drug costs without insurance reimbursements. If you experience any disruption at your local pharmacy, consider utilizing Express Scripts' mail-order prescription service. You may enroll in this service at Express-Scripts.com.
For More Information
Please visit NTCA’s Incident Response Resource Page at ntca.org/IncidentResponse for the latest updates on this ongoing situation. NTCA’s benefits specialists are available at (828) 281-9000, Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. ET, to answer any questions you may have.