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Andrew Witty, CEO of UnitedHealth Group, testified at a Senate Finance Committee hearing on “Hacking America’s Health Care: Assessing the Changing Healthcare Cyber Attack and What’s Next” on Wednesday, May 1, 2024, in the Dirks Building.
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UnitedHealth Group CEO Andrew Witty on Friday he cried the death of Brian Thompsonwho led the company’s insurance group, and recognized US healthcare system It is “wrong” and needs reform.
“We know the health care system isn’t working as well as it should, and we understand people’s frustrations,” Witty wrote in the New York Times. opinion piece. “No one would design a system like we have. And no one did. It’s a patchwork built over decades.”
UnitedHealth Group’s “mission is to help you work better,” he said.
“We stand ready to work with anyone, as we always have – healthcare providers, employers, patients, pharmaceutical companies, governments and others – to find ways to deliver high-quality care at lower costs,” added Witty.
The New York Times article marks Witty’s first public comments since last week fatal shooting Thompson is the CEO of UnitedHealthcare, the nation’s largest private insurer UnitedHealth Group, the nation’s largest health-care conglomerate by revenue and based on its nearly $475 billion market capitalization, which has shrunk since Thompson’s death on Dec. 4.
Luigi Mangione26 years old, they accuse him shooting dead CEO Thompson outside the Hilton Hotel in midtown Manhattan on his way to UnitedHealth Group’s investor day. Investigators said Mangione was a critic of the health care industry, a widely held view some americans.
The killing has unleashed a wave of resentment and anger against the insurance industry, which has become a notorious villain blamed for rising health care costs and difficulty accessing care. From denied claims, premium hikes and unexpected bills to a general lack of transparency, patients have flooded social media with stories of their negative experiences with insurance.
However, the killing comes after a difficult year for insurers, which are under pressure to turn a profit. This year, in particular, companies faced higher medical costs as seniors opted for surgeries that were postponed during the pandemic.
Witty recognized UnitedHealth Group’s role in addressing US health care challenges
“Health care is very personal and very complicated, and the reasons behind coverage decisions are not well understood,” Witty said, adding that “we share some of the responsibility for that.”
He did not specify what could be done to reform the industry. But Witty said the company needs to work with employers, governments and other payers to improve what insurers cover and how those decisions are made.
He also stated that behind some of the claims decisions “there is complete and constantly updated clinical evidence aimed at achieving the best health outcomes and ensuring patient safety”.
Witty said Thompson did her best to help patients navigate the health care system.
