$25 Million UnitedHealth CEO Whines About Public Blowback

https://www.thedailybeast.com/unitedhealth-ceo-andrew-witty-slams-aggressive-coverage-of-ceos-death/

Posted by ControlCAD

42 comments

  1. > UnitedHealth Group’s CEO slammed health insurance industry critics on social media as “vitriolic” and “not in tune with reality” as it is battered by anger in the wake of insurance CEO Brian Thompson’s murder.

    > Andrew Witty, Thompson’s boss, did not make the comments to the public but in a private video to company staff. He has not spoken publicly since the assassination-style murder outside a Manhattan hotel early Wednesday morning.

    > Independent journalist Ken Klippenstein initially posted a shortened clip of Witty’s comments to his Substack amid an avalanche of people attacking the health insurance industry on social platforms. He followed up with the full almost three-minute long address Witty gave to staff at UnitedHealth.

    > Witty, clearly reading from a script and dressed casually, defended his industry against accusations it refuses people vital coverage saying “we guard against the pressures that exist for unsafe care or unnecessary care.”

    > His extended complaint started by claiming the company puts “patients, consumers and members first, as we always have done,” claiming its mission was to improve their experience–and that Thompson left a legacy of doing that.

    > “I have never been more proud of this company and our colleagues and what this company does on behalf of people in need across this country,” he said.

    > He urged them to “tune out that critical noise that we’re hearing right now,” adding, “It does not reflect reality. It is simply a sign of an era in which we live.

    > “What we must know is focus on what we know to be true. And what we know to be true is that we need a company like UnitedHealth Group and it needs people like Brian within it.”

    > Witty, a British former pharma executive who is known as Sir Andrew Witty in the UK after being given a knighthood by the late Queen Elizabeth, is facing a Department of Justice probe into insider trading allegations. His last fully calculated compensation package in 2023 was $25 million. The company denies wrongdoing.

    > “I’d like to give you a little bit of advice around the media,” said Witty. “My strong advice and request to everybody is just don’t engage with the media. If you’re approached, I would recommend not responding and, if necessary, simply refer them to our own media organization.”

    > Witty added, “You’ve seen a lot of media interest in this situation with a huge amount of misinformation and frankly offensive communication,” calling the coverage “aggressive, inappropriate and disrespectful.”

    > Representatives for UnitedHealth Group and its health insurance division, UnitedHealthcare—which Thompson led—did not immediately respond to a Daily Beast request for comment on the leaked video.

    > On the heels of Thompson’s death and the ensuing hunt for his assassin, the company removed his bio from a page that once listed UnitedHealth’s leadership. Now it goes to a broken link.

    > Thompson was shot dead outside the Hilton hotel in Midtown Manhattan on Wednesday. He was due to address an investors’ conference for his company, which is one of the largest health insurers in the world. The killer, who experts have suggested is not a professional hitman, fled on an electric bike and remains at large.

    > The brazen act of violence and the subsequent manhunt have gripped national attention over the past few days.

    > Police revealed Friday that they believe the suspect, who was reportedly staying at a hostel on the Upper West Side before the attack, has fled the city.

    > While the shooter’s motive remains unknown, police recovered bullet casings with the words “deny,” “defend,” and “depose” inscribed on them. The words are a near match for an insurance industry adage—“delay, deny, defend”—about how to avoid having to pay out on claims.

    > The killing has stoked discussion of health insurance industry practices—especially around UnitedHealthcare’s own history of denying patients’ medical claims.

    > Some online reactions to the shooting have mocked or celebrated the executive’s slaying—in one since-removed popular Reddit thread, a user glibly satirized Thompson’s death in a faux insurance claim rejection.

  2. And how much money has this company offered for reward for their employee that was killed? How much?

  3. Consider this, UHC and his wife were so fond of him that neither is putting up a reward for information on his killer.

  4. A tone deaf executive paints a target on his back. Tune in at 10pm for more coverage.

  5. this is the first time I’ve ever heard of **ANDREW WHITTY**. **ANDREW WHITTY** is now the boss of the company that denies sick people healthcare. Thank you **ANDREW WHITTY**, it has been duly noted that you also profit immensely off of misery and death of working class americans.

  6. Is he trying to get on the wait list? or just jump the line? talk about tone deaf.

  7. If their product was so great they wouldn’t have to spend any money to lobby congress to stop a single payer healthcare system.

  8. A good Robin Hood story is always the best way to sleep.

  9. Just took out a serial killer. He just happened to work for an insurance company

  11. that guy is a total out of touch tool. I’d suggest he wfh indefinitely inside an underground bunker.

  12. Here is a take, maybe companies shouldn’t make money by denying people needed healthcare, causing suffering and death. Maybe their business model is corrupt and evil, and should be done away with.

  16. What’s the deductible on the world’s tiniest violin?

  20. If you don’t like it then vote. Healthcare is the only industry where the service provider (your doctor) is not paid by the customer (you). The insurance industry dictates the price of everything and it has a huge and detrimental effect on the quality of care you receive. Single payer and tort reform for the people.

  21. They don’t guard against shit. Insurance is wholly unnecessary in a universal healthcare system.

  22. Well if you want to make a business out of allowing people to live or die you have to take the heat like other businesses when they have shady practices and their “customers” are treated like shit.

  23. What bothers me the most about this is that they’re doing everything they can to catch this person. But people die every day and I don’t see extensive investigations done like this so there saying certain people are better than others??

  24. Oh, but folks, remember, the U.S. has the BEST healthcare in the World!!! For some.

  25. “we guard against the pressures that exist for unsafe care or unnecessary care”

    Habhahahhahahaha omfg hahahah what a hero. This is how out of touch these ppl are.

    Then his next comment is about putting patient and members first. No one believes this shit man we all lived it man. Don’t gaslight us

  26. Seems to me like the CEO of a health insurance company should understand risk.

  27. Why doesn’t he just say: “I’m ready to die for next quarter’s numbers, and you should be too.”
    Cut to the chase, bro.

  28. “we guard against the pressures that exist for unsafe care or unnecessary care.”

    It is absolutely outrageous people with no medical degrees are allowed to decide what’s unsafe or unnecessary care. He’s full of shit just like the rest of the health insurance CEOs and investors.

  29. Can we vote on who gets adjusted next? This guy gets my vote.

  30. I dare say that he grew up in the country with universal healthcare didn’t he? He sounds like he’s from the UK. Before the Reagan administration, a lot of things were different, including the fact that healthcare was not for profit, the wealthy and big corporations paid their fair share of taxes. Young people need to find out what all happened and run for office, please!

  31. This motherfucker isn’t even an American, why the hell is he in charge of our insurance?

  32. Talk about the privileged gaslighting privilege. Makes me sick.

  33. Maybe a better thing to do is pause and rethink your policies? Stop worrying about what we say and start worrying about how you look?

  36. Good job putting yourself out there. You’re next lol.

  38. That’s a bold move cotton, let’s see if it pays off…

  40. The Republican, healthcare plan will be, essentially, upon arrival at a hospital, one will be required to demonstrate, at least, one million dollars in liquid assets . . . or be used for spare parts for those who can.

  42. Andrew Witty CEO of United Health Care info

    It is time he hears from us. Please send him the stories of denied health procedures and suffering they caused. Please add CNN, npr, nyt, your local media and your state governor and senators on that email.
    Here are all the executive emails: https://executive-emails.com/q-u/united-health-group/

    Please spread this information.

    Andrew P. Witty
    CEO
    P.O. Box 1459
    Minneapolis, MN 55440-1459
    andrew.witty@uhg.com
    952-936-7109

    help@cnn.com
    letters@nytimes.com
    mailto:morning@npr.org

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