UnitedHealth CEO defends company, plans to honor legacy of Brian Thompson
In an internal video that has gone viral, the CEO of UnitedHealthcare’s parent company, UnitedHealth Group, defended the claims denial practices of its insurance arm, touting its critical role in guarding the healthcare system “against the pressures that exist for unsafe care or for unnecessary care to be delivered in a way that makes the whole system too complex and ultimately unsustainable."
The video—which was meant to be a direct communication between Andrew Witty and employees of UnitedHealth—was leaked to independent journalist Ken Klippenstein, who posted it on Twitter/X.
Witty criticized backlash online spurred by the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, who was fatally shot in New York City on Dec. 4.
“The mission of this company is truly to make sure we help the system improve by helping the experience for individuals get better and better. There was no one who did more to try to advance that mission than Brian Thompson,” Witty said.
“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,” he added.
The comments allude to a re-sparked controversy over UnitedHealthcare allegedly using artificial intelligence to deny medical claims. A pending lawsuit argues when these denials are appealed in court, they have a 90% rate of being overturned—meaning the care should never have been denied through the prior authorization process used by the insurer.
UnitedHealth has defended the use of its NaviHealth Predict tool, which it said in a statement to HealthExec is “used as a guide to help us inform providers, families and other caregivers about what sort of assistance and care the patient may need both in the facility and after returning home.”
The company argued its reimbursement rates and denials are linked to data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and are not a result of the AI tool. However, that case has yet to be adjudicated in court.
The plaintiffs in the lawsuit are largely patients covered by Medicare Advantage plans.
In the video, Witty advises employees to tune out “critical noise” on social media, adding that it “does not reflect reality” and is instead a “sign of the era in which we live.”
Witty also asks employees not to speak to the press about the company. He adds that UnitedHealth intends to honor Brian’s legacy and “will continue it,” giving no indication of a policy change at the company.
“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,” he says.
The man suspected of shooting Thompson, Luigi Mangione, 26, was arrested in Pennsylvania on Monday with a weapon and manifesto in his backpack that link him to the crime, authorities said. Charges against Mangione are pending.
Chad is an award-winning writer and editor with over 15 years of experience working in media. He has a decade-long professional background in healthcare, working as a writer and in public relations.