Andrew Witty, CEO of UnitedHealth Group, speaks about the death of Brian Thompson

Andrew Witty, CEO of UnitedHealth Group, testifies during the Senate Finance Committee hearing titled “Hacking America's Health Care: Assessing the Change Healthcare Cyber ​​Attack and What's Next” at the Dirksen Building on May 1, 2024 in Washington, DC .

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UnitedHealth Group CEO Andrew Witty on Friday mourned the death of Brian Thompson, who led the company's insurance division, and acknowledged that the U.S. health care system is “flawed” and in need of reform.

“We know the health care system is not working as well as it should, and we understand people’s frustration about it,” Witty wrote in a New York Times opinion piece. “No one would design a system like the one we have. And no one did it. It’s a patchwork that’s been built up over decades.”

UnitedHealth Group's “mission is to help make it work better,” he said.

“As always, we stand ready to work with everyone – healthcare providers, employers, patients, pharmaceutical companies, governments and others – to find ways to provide high-quality care and reduce costs,” Witty added.

The New York Times article is Witty's first public comment since last week's fatal shooting of Thompson, CEO of UnitedHealthcare, the nation's largest private insurer. The UnitedHealth Group is the largest healthcare group in the country in terms of sales. Its market capitalization of nearly $475 billion has shrunk since Thompson's death on Dec. 4.

Luigi Mangione, 26, is accused of fatally shooting Thompson outside the Hilton hotel in midtown Manhattan as the CEO went to UnitedHealth Group's investor day. Investigators said Mangione was a critic of the health care industry, a widely held view among Americans.

The killing has unleashed a wave of pent-up anger and anger toward the insurance industry, which has become a popular villain blamed for rising health care costs and difficulties accessing care. From denied claims, rising premiums and unexpected bills to a general lack of transparency, patients have flooded social media with stories of their own negative experiences with insurance.

Still, the killing comes after a challenging year for insurers under pressure to protect their profits. This year in particular, businesses have struggled with higher medical costs as seniors opted for surgeries they had postponed during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Witty acknowledged UnitedHealth Group's role in addressing healthcare challenges in the United States

“Health care is both very personal and very complicated, and the reasons behind coverage decisions are not well understood,” Witty said, noting, “We bear some of the responsibility for that.”

He gave no details on what exactly could be done to reform the industry. But Witty said the company, along with employers, governments and other payers, needs to improve the way insurers explain what is covered and how those decisions are made.

He also noted that behind certain claims decisions is “a comprehensive and continually updated body of clinical evidence aimed at achieving the best health outcomes and ensuring patient safety.”

Witty said Thompson did his best to help patients navigate the health care system.

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