The leader of the much-maligned payer addressed employees following the fatal shooting of Brian Thompson.
In defending his company against the online backlash in the wake of Brian Thompson's murder, UnitedHealth Group CEO Andrew Witty has triggered another surge of scrutiny.
Two days after the UnitedHealthcare CEO was gunned down, Witty spoke to employees in a video message, which has since leaked, pushing back against the "vitriolic media and commentary" aimed at the health insurer and its slain executive for denial practices.
Luigi Mangione was arrested and charged with murder in New York in connection to the shooting and killing of Thompson in Manhattan, where UnitedHealthcare was holding its annual investor conference.
Shell casings found at the scene of the shooting had the words "deny," "defend," and "depose" written on them, according to reports, in reference to a phrase used by insurance industry critics to describe how insurers delay payments, deny claims, and then defend their decisions.
In his company address, Witty told employees that UnitedHealth Group's function of denying claims is vital to the larger healthcare system.
"Our role is a critical role, and we make sure that care is safe, appropriate, and it's delivered when people need it," he said. "We guard against the pressures that exist for unsafe care or for unnecessary care to be delivered in a way which makes the whole system too complex and ultimately unsustainable."
A recent report by the U.S. Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations released in October highlighted UnitedHealthcare's use of AI to deny claims and found that the insurer's prior authorization denial rate for post-acute care jumped from 10.9% in 2020 to 22.7% in 2022. Thompson was named CEO in April 2021.
"The mission of this company is truly to make sure that we help the system improve by helping the experience for individuals get better and better," Witty said. "There was nobody who did more to try and advance that mission than Brian Thompson. There are very few people in the history of the U.S. healthcare industry who had a bigger positive effect on American healthcare than Brian."
The video of Witty has fanned the flames in online communities, where people have taken issue with the CEO's comments while continuing to criticize UnitedHealthcare and insurers in general, as well as the healthcare system overall.
"I encourage you to tune out that critical noise that we're hearing right now," Witty said. "It does not reflect reality. It is simply a sign of an era in which we live. What we must do is focus on what we know to be true and what we know to be true is that the health system needs a company like UnitedHealth Group and it needs people like Brian within it."
Jay Asser is the CEO editor for HealthLeaders.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
UnitedHealth Group CEO Andrew Witty, in a company-wide video address, justified the insurer's denial practices and rejected the groundswell of critical public opinion towards the company and Brian Thompson.
Witty said few people in U.S. history have "had a bigger positive effect on American healthcare" than Thompson, who was shot and killed in Manhattan.
The remarks, however, led to more outrage on social media over the insurer's denial rates and treatment of members.