(Reuters) – UnitedHealth Group Chief Executive Andrew Witty mourned the death of executive Brian Thompson and said he understood the public’s frustrations with the United States’ “flawed” healthcare system.
“No one would design a system like the one we have. And nobody did. It’s a patchwork built over decades,” said Witty in an opinion article published by the New York Times this Friday (13). The article marks the executive’s first public comments since Thompson, president of the health insurance unit, was shot to death last week in New York.
The murder drew attention to , amid the frustration of Americans who struggle to be adequately served by the sector.
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Witty said he and his peers are “struggling to understand this inconceivable act” and said they are being “bombarded with threats.”
Recent data from the United States shows that health insurance customers are now even more likely to have their claims denied, pay more for doctor visits, and face unexpected costs for care they thought was covered by their health plans.
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“Health care is intensely personal and very complicated, and the reasons behind coverage decisions are not well understood,” Witty said.
“We share part of the responsibility for this. 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.”
Insurers say they are working to negotiate increased fees for doctors and hospitals, as well as high-cost drugs and medical devices.
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After a five-day manhunt, Luigi Mangione was charged with Thompson’s Dec. 9 murder outside a Manhattan hotel before an industry conference.
The New York Times reported that an internal New York City police report analyzing a document found on Mangione when he was arrested concluded that he viewed the murder as a justified response to what he believes was corruption in the health care industry.
(By Manas Mishra)
