UnitedHealth CEO cites excessive price as root reason behind US well being care woes
UnitedHealth Group’s prime govt mentioned the corporate’s murdered medical health insurance govt Brian Thompson labored to make the nation’s health-care system higher for everybody.
UnitedHealth Group CEO Andrew Witty additionally acknowledged the U.S. well being care system is complicated and should enhance, citing excessive costs of medical providers because the “root trigger” of the nation’s well being care woes. Witty’s remarks got here because the Minnesota-based medical health insurance and medical providers firm introduced earnings that fell wanting analysts projections’ for the ultimate three months of 2024.
On a name with buyers, Witty thanked the general public for condolences and assist after Thompson was gunned down in Midtown Manhattan final month on the firm’s annual buyers convention. Thompson was CEO of UnitedHealthcare, the medical health insurance arm of UnitedHealth Group.
“Lots of you knew Brian personally. You knew how a lot he meant to all of us and the way he devoted his time to assist him make the well being system work higher for all the folks we’re privileged to serve,” Witty mentioned. “He would dive in with ardour and caring to search out options to enhance experiences, whether or not for a person client, an employer or a public well being company.”
Witty added that the U.S. well being care system must perform higher and “must be much less complicated, much less advanced and more cost effective.”
“America faces the identical basic well being care dynamic as the remainder of the world,” Witty mentioned. “The assets accessible to pay for well being care are restricted, whereas demand for healthcare is limitless.”
He added that the nation’s well being care system should tackle the price of care to enhance high quality and entry.
“In the end bettering healthcare means addressing the basis reason behind well being care price,” Witty mentioned. “Basically, well being care prices extra within the U.S. as a result of the value of a single process, go to or prescription is greater right here than it’s in different international locations.”
Thompson, 50, from Jewell Iowa, was a father of two sons. He’d been CEO since April 2021 and with the corporate since 2004.
His homicide was adopted by an outpouring of public frustration over medical health insurance and the healthcare system extra broadly.
In a brand new USA TODAY/Suffolk College ballot, about two in three Individuals mentioned the Dec. 4 homicide of Thompson was flawed, and the suspected killer ought to be prosecuted to the total extent of the regulation.
Many of the relaxation agreed it was flawed, however mentioned they understood the anger the alleged shooter felt towards America’s well being care system.
