HealthLock and Mastercard Team to Prevent Medical Fraud

Medical fraud and overbilling prevention solution HealthLock has expanded its year-old partnership with Mastercard.

Beginning April 1, the HealthLock platform will be available to commercial, small business and consumer Mastercard cardholders in the U.S., the company announced Tuesday (March 5).

Through the partnership, eligible cardholders can link their health insurance accounts to HealthLock, which can protect a user’s medical data from data breaches, according to the release.

The platform organizes deductibles, claims and provider information in a secure, digital space. As new claims are entered, the platform is able to analyze and flag each one for potential errors, fraud or overbilling, the release said.

“At HealthLock, our primary goal is to ensure patients’ private information is secure and that they never have to pay more than they owe for their medical care,” HealthLock CEO Scott Speranza said in a news release.

“It may sound like a simple objective, but in reality, our healthcare system has become far too chaotic, and patients are the ones who suffer as a result,” Speranza said. “That’s why bringing this service to more Mastercard customers is so important to us — at the end of the day, tools like this are making healthcare more effortless for all.”

The companies first teamed up last May, giving Mastercard health savings account and flexible spending account holders access to Healthlock’s platform. This lets them monitor all healthcare claims in one place, prevent fraud, reduce bills and reverse rejected claims.

The expanded partnership comes as the U.S. healthcare system is reeling from a lengthy cyberattack against Change Healthcare, the American healthcare system’s largest payment exchange platform between doctors, pharmacies, healthcare providers and patients.

Because of its reach, the attack led to complete disruptions at healthcare clinics, medical billing companies and pharmacies.

Tuesday brought reports that UnitedHealth Group, which owns Change Healthcare, had paid $22 million to Blackcat, the ransomware group behind the attack. UnitedHealth did not comment on the reports, which emerged from an online forum popular with cybercriminals. 

Rumors of the ransom payment came at the same time that a cryptocurrency tracking firm spotted the transfer of nearly $23 million worth of bitcoin to a wallet associated with Blackcat. 

Meanwhile, PYMNTS also spoke last week with Lisa Plaggemier, executive director of the National Cybersecurity Alliance, who said the breach is a reminder of the need for proactivity in protecting data.

“Strengthening cybersecurity protocols, enhancing employee training and fostering a culture of cybersecurity awareness are essential steps in safeguarding against the pervasive threat of data breaches and preserving the confidentiality, integrity and availability of sensitive information,” Plaggemier said.