“We know our health care system is not working as well as we should,” UnitedHealth Group’s CEO said, citing the boiling complaints, threats and vitriol directed at health insurance companies. “I do,” he admitted.
But he said slain executive Brian Thompson was among those trying to improve the system.
Andrew Whitty, head of UnitedHealth Group, UnitedHealthcare’s parent company, wrote that he understands “people’s frustration” with the American health care system.
“No one would have designed a system like the one we have. And no one has. It’s a patchwork built over decades. Our mission is to Help improve the system,” Whitty said in a New York Times op-ed published Friday morning, “The Health Care System is Flawed. Let’s Fix It.”
Whitty described Thompson, UnitedHealthcare’s CEO, as a champion of its mission.
“As Brian Thompson’s family, friends and colleagues mourn his murder, we carry the grief and grief we will carry with us for the rest of our lives. Our hearts go out to the family he left behind, and to all of us. We are saddened by the loss of a brilliant and kind man who was dedicated to improving health care for Americans,” Whitty wrote.
The article was published a week after Mr. Thompson was gunned down on the morning of Dec. 4 on his way to speak at a conference in midtown Manhattan, in what police described as a targeted ambush. .
Luigi Mangione, 26, was arrested five days later in Altoona, Pennsylvania, and charged with murder. According to his books and social media presence, Mangione suffered a “life-altering injury” to his lower back and was dissatisfied with America’s corporate and health care systems.
UnitedHealthcare said Mr. Mangione was not insured by the company, but New York City Police Department Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenney said Mr. Mangione was not insured because UnitedHealthcare is one of the nation’s largest health insurance companies. may have targeted Mr Thompson.
Mangione remains in custody in Pennsylvania and is fighting extradition to New York. Mangione’s attorney said he intends to plead not guilty to all charges.
Whitty explained that Thompson is from Iowa and worked on a farm as a child, growing up on a farm with his mother, whose father spent more than 40 years unloading trucks at a grain elevator.
“He never forgot where he came from, because his first consideration when finding ways to improve care was the needs of people living in places like Jewell, Iowa,” Whitty said. is writing.
When a colleague pitched a new idea to Thompson, he asked, “Would you want this for your family?”
“If not, the discussion is over,” Whitty recalled.
He said the company was struggling to understand “this unconscionable act” and “the vitriolic words directed at colleagues who were being threatened.”
“Employees no longer have to worry about the safety of themselves or their loved ones, whether they are answering customer calls or nurses visiting patients in their homes.”
He emphasized that the company’s mission is to improve health care, but acknowledged that the system is “complex” and that insurers “share some of the blame.” Mr Whitty said there was a need to improve the way insurance coverage was explained and determined.
“Our health care system is not perfect, but every corner of our health care system is filled with people who want to do what is best for people,” he wrote. “Brian was one of them.”
He said Thompson “urged us to build a dedicated team to help the sickest people navigate the health care system.”
“That’s why he fought for preventive health and quality health outcomes, rather than just more tests and procedures. He believed that health care decisions should start with a personal plan. “We supported plans that allow consumers to see costs and coverage options upfront so they can decide what’s best for them and their families,” Witty said.
The CEO said Thompson championed ideas to make health care more affordable, transparent and compassionate.
“This is Brian’s legacy, and we will continue it by continuing to work to make our health care system work better for everyone,” Whitty concluded.
Mr. Thompson’s murder sparked outrage and scrutiny over the nation’s health care system and corporate greed, creating a kind of domino effect.
Business owners, health insurance industry employees, and law enforcement officials have reported facing threats and harassment since his death.
Social media posts Wednesday showed images of “wanted” posters posted in Manhattan featuring photos of the CEOs of at least two health insurance companies. The posters accuse executives of “denying medical care for corporate profits.”
The posters, many of which have since been removed, included the words “denial,” “defense,” and “expulsion,” which were written on shell casings found at the crime scene. The term is also used in products sold online that glorify killing.
Rebecca Weiner, the New York City Police Department’s deputy chief of intelligence and counterterrorism, said Wednesday that the suspect was being hailed as a hero by some online.
She said the killings resembled domestic terrorist attacks and could cause an “epidemic.”
Shares of UnitedHealth Group and other major health insurance companies have fallen since Thompson was killed last week, but they are still worth tens of billions of dollars, according to CNBC. UnitedHealth is by far the largest insurance company, with a stock price of about $521 on Friday and a market capitalization of about $480 billion.
