UnitedHealth Group CEO calls for health care reform in op-ed

Andrew Witty, CEO of UnitedHealth Group, authored an op-ed calling for health care reform after his colleague, CEO of UnitedHealthcare Brian ThompsonHe was killed last week in a targeted attack while on his way to attend the company’s annual investor day in New York City.

Whitty’s guest article was published on Friday in New York TimesHe wrote that while he and his colleagues appreciate “the outpouring of support for Brian,” who ran UnitedHealth Group’s insurance division, they also “struggle to make sense of this unconscionable action and vitriol directed at our colleagues who have been bombarded with threats.”

“No employee — whether they are the people who answer customer calls or the nurses who visit patients in their homes — should have to fear for their safety and the safety of their loved ones,” Whitty wrote, adding that the company wants to help improve Health care system.

“We know the health system doesn’t work as well as it should, and we understand people’s frustration with it,” Whitty explained. “No one is going to design a system like the one we have. And no one has. It’s a patchwork that’s been built over decades.” . “We are ready to partner with anyone, as we have always done — health care providers, employers, patients, pharmaceutical companies, governments and others — to find ways to deliver higher-quality care at lower costs.”

Luigi Mangione was not a member of UnitedHEALTHCARE, he may have targeted the company because of its size and influence: NYPD

Whitty said that “the reasons behind coverage decisions are not well understood” and that some of the responsibility for that is shared by health care and insurance companies like the one he leads. Employers, governments and others who pay for health care “need to improve how we explain,” he said What insurance covers And how to make decisions.”

tape	protection	last	It changes	% changes
United Nations	UnitedHealth Group Inc.	610.20	+1.82	+0.30%

“Behind every decision lies a comprehensive and continually updated body of clinical evidence focused on achieving the best health outcomes and ensuring patient safety,” Whitty wrote. “Although the health system is not perfect, every corner of it is full of people trying to do their best for those they serve.”

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the CEO of UnitedHealth Group He noted that Thompson has advocated for ways to improve the health care system, such as the company “building dedicated teams to help the sickest people navigate the health system.” He also said Thompson “championed plans in which consumers can see costs and coverage options up front, so they can decide what’s best for themselves and their families.”

“The ideas he championed were intended to make health care more affordable, more transparent, more intuitive, more compassionate — and more humane,” Whitty wrote. “This is Brian’s legacy, and one that we will carry forward by continuing our work to make the health system work better for everyone.”

Brian Thompson Jarr, fellow CEO, talks about fear of violence after shooting: ‘We’re all worried’

Whitty’s op-ed comes after Thompson as well He was killed in a shooting On the way to the company’s Investor Day in Manhattan on December 4.

The suspect in the murder, Luigi MangioneHe was arrested in Pennsylvania after a manhunt and expressed his hostility toward the health care industry in writings that were discovered when he was arrested.

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The New York Police Department and UnitedHealthcare confirmed Thursday that Mangione was not a client of the insurance company. The NYPD said he may have targeted the company because of its size and influence within the industry.

The company’s shares fell 4% this week after falling nearly 10% the week of the shooting.