Leaked video shows UnitedHealth Group chief complaining about 'vitriolic' coverage of Brian Thompson shooting

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: The Independent

Saturday 07 December 2024 22:04 GMT


Three days after UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was fatally gunned down by a masked man lying in wait outside a Midtown Manhattan hotel, the head of the insurer’s parent company addressed anxious staff in a video sent to all US employees.

In it, UnitedHealth Group CEO Andrew Witty told underlings that their work was “critical” in preventing the US medical system from providing “unnecessary” care he claimed would eventually drive up costs to an “unsustainable” level – as he complained about the “vitriolic” media coverage of the shooting.

The two-minute-and-forty-five-second speech came in the wake of widespread glee over the news of Thompson’s murder by Americans who have been denied coverage while insurance companies earn record profits. While social media users shared anecdotes about being denied coverage some musicians have even written and shared murder ballads they composed following Thompson’s killing, elevating the as-yet unidentified subject, who remains on the run, to near-folk hero status.

UnitedHealthcare reportedly has one of the highest denial rates in the entire healthcare industry, and was last year sued for allegedly using a “flawed” AI algorithm to “systematically deny” coverage to seniors.

Read more: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/crime/unitedhealth-brian-thompson-shooting-media-andrew-witty-b2660646.html

[RockRaven]

1. You think this coverage has been vitrolic?

Well...

[2naSalit]

2. Just goes to show...

How pampered and removed from reality these fuckheads are.

[mwooldri]

3. No empathy from me here.

Hasn't been pre-approved. Out of network.

[OrlandoDem2]

4. Oh Hell, I blame the media for not covering innocent people hurt by UHC.

They’ve obsessed for a week over 1 man. How about the millions denied coverage? How about calling for universal single payer without an insurance company serving as middle man making huge profits off illness?

[pfitz59]

5. Tone deaf POS

$1,500,000
Andrew Witty, the CEO of UnitedHealth Group, had total compensation of $20.9 million in 20221. His compensation included a salary of $1,500,000, a cash bonus of $2,550,000, and stock and option awards with an estimated value of over $14 million2. His net worth is $59 million.

This was 2021.

[moniss]

6. Short message from the leadership of UHC to

their employees: "It is your duty to f**k people over to sustain profits".

[Orrex]

7. What a strange way for him to write a suicide note.

[C0RI0LANUS]

13. You said it, Orrex.

[lonely bird]

8. The very presence of insurance companies drives up costs

They do not control costs at all.

[LiberalArkie]

37. They have always raised costs to make people to have to buy insurance. The for profit hospitals gladly accept

the money..

My lower abdominal ctsan with reading in Conway Arkansas was $1,471.00 with no insurance. Insurance price was $338.25

In Bangkok with the same machine and very good radiologist the price in U.S. Dollars with no insurance is $97.00..

In Japan it is a outrageously priced at 15,000yen Or $99.99 again with no insurance.

[azureblue]

9. IOW

"we must keep the profit margins up for our investors and upper management. So don't be afraid to deny a claim.""

[PedroXimenez]

10. supervillain accent checks out n/t

[Mr. Mustard 2023]

11. "Efficiency" is the battle cry of Wall Street hucksters.

Our federal government was designed to be inefficient, with checks, balances & co-equal branches of government. Writers of the constitution literally created a system that works slowly and has many eyes on issues, so to speak.

Elon Musk is now crying "efficiency" as the ruse to dismantle those checks and balances, and especially regulations which try to hold Wall Street and polluters accountable.

UnitedHealth Care Group CEO Andrew Witty is declaring the mission for his unnecessary and inefficient middleman health insurance company has a mandate to ensure unnecessary procedures aren't performed. In the name of efficiency and cost control.

Efficiency is not more important than results, but they're trying (again) to use efficiency as a ruse to steal from us.

[Karasu]

42. Yep. It's an excuse for forcing austerity on the public when they know virtually no one fucking wants it.

[C0RI0LANUS]

12. UHC CEO Andrew Witty's Ghoulish Confession

The other day I wrote something personal and vitriolic about UnitedHealthcare and the horrific impact the late Brian Thompson had on a family that I have known for years.

Many UHC victims in the US and DU can't spew enough venom and bile at these #@&!s.

Elderly Americans have been diligently paying their premiums to UHC for years, bamboozled by the AARP Medicare Advantage sales pitch, expecting decency when they file a claim.

Now we read that CEO Andrew Witty is concerned about "preventing the US medical system from providing “unnecessary” care.

So, CEO Andrew Witty admits he is more concerned about the entire "US medical system" than
providing insurance coverage to the American people to alleviate their suffering and facilitate healing.

How patriotic.




When and why does CEO Andrew Witty speak for the entire "US medical system"? And are UHC employees his triage kapos deciding who lives or dies? Who is programming the UHC AI death panel algorithms?

These health insurance executives will continue to luxuriate in their Greenwich, CT mansions, drive their Mercedes-Benz, send their children all expenses paid to the Ivy Leagues as legacies, and fly First Class to St Tropez every year, while unaware elderly Americans continue to buy their crappy product and service every enrollment period because of ubiquitous, insidious, and convincing TV ad campaigns.

Link:

https://ceoworld.biz/2023/05/10/highest-paid-health-insurance-ceos-six-ceos-raked-in-a-record-123-million-last-year/

Simply put, these health insurance oligarchs are pit fiends and

[Clouds Passing]

14. The Genocider says what? Witty/uhc is vitriol.

[mzmolly]

15. So caring for people drives up costs. But paying

CEO’s millions to deny care does not. Got it!

[IbogaProject]

16. Bleh

Between administrative expenses of over 30% of insurance costs and their bloated profit margin there is plenty of fat to trim. There is already enough money we just need to get everybody covered and treated faster. The estimates are tgat we would save money even the first year during the transition. This is a natural monoloply and needs to be nationalized. Big pharma and medical device manufacturers are even more opposed to National Single Payer health as all treatment outcomes would be publically available and we could see which treatments truely work and are worth using.

[love_katz]

17. It turns out that there are death panels after all.

But, it isn't the ACA or universal health care.

It's the misnamed ' health ' insurance companies and their ultra greedy CEO's and stock holders.

The health care system is broken. We aren't healthy and they don't care.

Apparently, the oligarchs figure that it will be easier to oppress the rest of us if we're sick and bankrupt.

[dalton99a]

18. "Our bean counters know more than your doctor"

[3825-87867]

21. Evidently so do Republican Congress People and Senators!

Next time you think you need a doctor apppointment, call your local Republican Rep to make one for their expert diagnosis and advice!

[3825-87867]

19. Wonder if we could all setup a go fund me

to provide great medical, health, insurance and especially hospital emergency coverage for the guy when he gets caught? Chances are UHC will turn him down,
Do I need the snark symbol?

[C0RI0LANUS]

23. I imagine besides getting an excellent public defender, a gofundme page will emerge to pay for a private attorney

[dalton99a]

20. CEO to employees: "Keep up the good work. Kill them dead and take all their money"

[C0RI0LANUS]

24. PERFECT

[Uncle Joe]

22. His choice of words reflects his feelings as he refers to people or patients as "consumers" aka; locusts.

That's all a consumer is.

Thanks for the thread BumRushDaShow

[lostnfound]

35. I noticed that too. Their press releases often refer to "consumers" not patients.

Reminds me of George Bush telling everything after 9-11 that the thing that ordinary Americans could do to help the country was to go shop.

[Uncle Joe]

36. Yes, everything with them is based on greed, as people. human beings, citizens or patients' intrinsic worth is devalued

when all they're viewed as is "consumers," or tools for acquisition of wealth.

"Consumers" become the limitation to unlimited wealth, and It becomes much easier to ignore the American Peoples' legitimate, even righteous wants and needs when only seen through a mercenary or transactional lens.

"Consumer(s)" is one of my most hated words in the English language, it's used non-stop by the corporate media, and I believe that in turn has psychologically programmed the people to view themselves as less which of course makes viewing others as less all the easier.

[RobinA]

44. In The Medical

and allied medical fields that's pretty standard amongst those who chose the accept it. There was some notion that "consumers" will be treated better than "patients." To me it seems like the opposite would be true, but I'm counting the days to retirement.

[C0RI0LANUS]

25. I have been stipulating this for years: The GOP, the wealthy, and the elites treat the US poor like their %#*& food.

[alwaysinasnit]

26. Nick Hanauer has been trying to warn his fellow billionaires about abusive capitalism for a while now.

https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2014/06/the-pitchforks-are-coming-for-us-plutocrats-108014/

[OMGWTF]

31. Everyone should watch this video. He is right-on!

[MaryMagdaline]

27. It's a false flag. No CEO was killed. These are all paid actors

[mike_c]

28. parasites gonna parasite

Cockroaches.

[Hekate]

29. Amazing confession, *hole. Preventing the US healthcare system from providing "unnecessary" care...

I just can’t seem to dredge up any sympathy for Andrew Witty’s concerns. Perhaps thoughts and prayers will do.

[OMGWTF]

30. Really? Other countries that cover everyone's healthcare have better outcomes for LESS MONEY!

Fuck you United Healthscare greedy rat bastards!

[snot]

32. How about these "unsustainable" costs:

"UnitedHealth Group Profits Hit $22 Billion In 2023"
(https://www.forbes.com/sites/brucejapsen/2024/01/12/unitedhealth-group-profits-hit-23-billion-in-2023/ )

[Evolve Dammit]

33. using a "flawed" AI algorithm to "systematically deny". And we're not supposed to be mad as hell over this??

[orangecrush]

34. Fuck that guy.

EOM

[Karasu]

38. Yeah, that's what happens when you work in an exploitative industry that shouldn't even exist and is universally hated

Last edited Sun Dec 8, 2024, 06:50 PM - Edit history (1)

by anyone with a fucking brain. Or heart for that matter.

It's almost like the health insurance industry is inherently deserving of vitriol. Gee. Now there's a thought.

[muriel_volestrangler]

39. Someone should send him this in reply:

[Aussie105]

40. I LOL's at the outrage!

Too close to home, I guess?

CEOs everywhere are worried.
Self-image of being good corporate citizens permanently shattered!

Either some will modify their outlook on their 'consumers' (unlikely) or hire protection muscle (more likely).

As always, try to read the motivation that others have when they try to tell you what to think, what to feel.

Strange system though - makes more profit when denying benefits? Guess insurance is like that.

[electric_blue68]

41. "Unecessary". Riiiiiiiight... Pffffftttttt... 🤬

"Thank you", for your Cruelty.

[Hassler]

43. I somehow was healthy enough to elude

Their Medicare Advantage "plan" for 2025. On to Original Medicare for me!