The CEO of UnitedHealth, UnitedHealthcare's parent company, has admitted that the healthcare system is broken, and calls for work to "fix" it in his first public remarks since the assassination of CEO Brian Thompson.
While he mourned the loss of Thompson, Andrew Witty, the CEO of UnitedHealth Group, wrote in an editorial piece published by the New York Times that he understood why people are frustrated with the healthcare system.
"Health care is both intensely personal and very complicated, and the reasons behind coverage decisions are not well understood. We share some of the responsibility for that. Together with employers, governments and others who pay for care, we need to improve how we explain what insurance covers and how decisions are made," Witty wrote.
Witty added that he and UnitedHealth are "willing to partner with anyone" to find ways to provide high-quality care at a lower cost.
The CEO maintained that Thompson was someone who thought this way too, saying that Thompson advocated for "more affordable, more transparent ... and more human" health care.
However, Witty condemned the recent uptick in threats against healthcare employees. Several people and online users have made threats or dark jokes about harming those who work in health insurance or other CEOs.
"No employees — be they the people who answer customer calls or nurses who visit patients in their homes — should have to fear for their and their loved ones' safety," Witty wrote.
The suspect accused of shooting and killing Thompson was arrested Monday, and identified as 26-year-old Luigi Mangione. He has since garnered somewhat of a fanbase online, with many people calling for his release and others making GoFundMes to help support his legal defense.
Others have donned banners or merchandise displaying the words "deny," "defend" and "depose," which were found engraved on the bullet casings used in the murder. Dozens also shared stories to social media about their negative experiences with healthcare services following Thompson's identification.
Mangione has been charged with second-degree murder.
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