Florida Senator Marco Rubio (R) joined Maine Sen. Angus King (I) to introduce the Strengthening Cybersecurity in Health Care Act. If the bill is signed into law, it would require HHS to perform consistent evaluations of its cybersecurity systems and report their findings to Congress.
The bill follows recent reports of an uptick in cybersecurity attacks against healthcare systems across the country, including the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). According to a statement from Rubio, approximately 133 million people had their health data, such as Medicare beneficiary data, social security numbers, and medical records breached last year.
“Since the pandemic, we have seen a rise in the number of cyberattacks against our healthcare systems,” Rubio said. “I am proud to introduce the bipartisan Strengthening Cybersecurity in Health Care Act. This legislation aims to reassure the American people by better safeguarding their sensitive information, ensuring peace of mind during these ever changing times.”
The bill has bipartisan support, including North Carolina Republican Sen. Thom Tillis and New Hampshire Democratic Sen. Maggie Hassan (D-NH), the original cosponsors of this legislation.
“Too many North Carolinians have experienced data breaches by malicious hackers, which is especially concerning when it comes to sensitive health information,” Tillis said. “Americans shouldn’t have to worry about harmful cybersecurity attacks and this legislation ensures any personal health data stored by the Department of Health and Human Services is properly secured and protected from cybersecurity attacks.”
