ITHACA, N.Y. (WHCU) – Senator Chuck Schumer is pushing for federal advances to address a recent billing infrastructure hack affecting the Southern Tier.

Schumer was in Ithaca on Monday to highlight the national attack that’s affecting hospitals’ abilities to receive reimbursements from insurance companies, which puts smaller hospitals’ day-to-day operations in jeopardy. The Senate majority leader is calling on the Health and Human Services Agency and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid to push advance payments, and the FBI to prioritize the investigation.

WENY-TV reports Schumer pointed out that the payments would be advances that would be paid back to the government.