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submitted 1 week ago by MicroWave@lemmy.world to c/news@lemmy.world

Summary

UnitedHealth CEO Andrew Witty criticized public outrage over the health insurance industry following the assassination of UnitedHealthcare executive Brian Thompson.

In a leaked video to staff, Witty dismissed criticism as “misinformation” and urged employees not to engage with media.

Thompson’s murder outside a Manhattan hotel has intensified scrutiny of the industry’s practices, with bullet casings found at the scene bearing phrases linked to insurance claim denial tactics.

The killing has sparked debate on UnitedHealthcare’s history of denying claims, while the shooter remains at large.

Witty faces unrelated DOJ insider trading allegations.

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[-] MonkeyBusiness@sh.itjust.works 251 points 1 week ago

This is super tone deaf. If I were an executive, I'd be pretending I don't exist.

[-] 9point6@lemmy.world 103 points 1 week ago

Ikr, people in this position are expected to be malicious, they're also generally expected to be the smart kind of sociopath.

This guy clearly has no idea of the situation he finds himself in

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[-] QuantumSparkles@sh.itjust.works 21 points 1 week ago

Yeah I expected people like Jim to be hiding in a cave in the middle of nowhere like Bin Laden right about now

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[-] nimble 211 points 1 week ago

The fact that this is an internal video means at least one of your employees don't think you've learned the lesson you need to learn from this mr witty.

[-] TheDemonBuer@lemmy.world 164 points 1 week ago

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.”

Doubling down on your lie ain't gonna help you.

[-] breadsmasher@lemmy.world 146 points 1 week ago

Unnecessary care

The doctor thinks its necessary. Claims handler and insurance company suddenly become medical professionals and give a second opinion of “its not necessary”.

Why even bother with the doctor? Just ask the insurance company instead.

Whats funny too - whenever the alternative is brought up (socialised healthcare), at least the conservative side of america starts seething over it, falling over themselves defending private insurance companies

[-] friend_of_satan@lemmy.world 73 points 1 week ago

Why even bother with the doctor? Just ask the insurance company instead.

100% this. If they know what's best for us they should open a hospital.

Do the people making these refusals have medical degrees? Those people without medical degrees actually think they know better than a doctor?

"Necessary" is a really telling word there. Is it necessary that I have pain meds? No. It's possible to go through my life in pain. It would fucking suck, but those pain meds aren't strictly necessary. Just fuck anybody and any corporation who would want you to go through life in pain.

[-] karashta@lemm.ee 53 points 1 week ago

Same with teeth.

Sure, I can live without them but everything becomes harder and worse and there's an awful period where you could probably die from the infections as many people used to.

But those are luxury bones covered by other, separate insurance, as though it is not related to my health.

[-] scytale@lemm.ee 29 points 1 week ago

100%. The majority of my health concerns at the moment are my teeth, and because dental is separate, I’m spending a lot more out of pocket because the maximum coverage is so much lower.

[-] Corkyskog@sh.itjust.works 18 points 1 week ago

It's also a fucking rip off. I supposedly have "good" insurance options and the premiums for a family of 3 are almost $1k a year, only cover up to $2k yearly of work, and requires 40 - 65% coinsurance depending on the type of work.

So if I spend less than $2k on dental work, I lose money buying dental. The max benefit I get is from $4k of dental, and any work beyond that just makes the situation even less attractive.

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[-] ImADifferentBird 155 points 1 week ago

It's not enough that these people steal from us and kill us, but they also insist we not criticize them while they do it.

[-] HawlSera@lemm.ee 15 points 1 week ago

They don't see as anything more than a resource, a resource that complains when it is harvested is an annoyance.

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[-] ohwhatfollyisman@lemmy.world 112 points 1 week ago

if you don't like the reflection, don't blame the mirror.

[-] QuarterSwede@lemmy.world 22 points 1 week ago

Oh I like this one.

[-] Level9831@lemmy.world 108 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

"There are very few people in the history of the US healthcare industry who had a bigger positive effect on American healthcare than Brian [Thompson]."

Lol you fucking shitting me? This guy's whole speech is a lie.

[-] EpeeGnome@lemm.ee 42 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

Not so much a lie as speaking from a very twisted point of view. From his perspective, making more money is the only kind of positive change. As the CEO who oversaw the highest denial rate in the industry, Thompson's leadership would of course be seen as positive by his fellow executives.

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[-] Hadriscus@lemm.ee 13 points 1 week ago

In a way it's true. In death, he's having a hand in changing the public perception of privatized healthcare in the US, and perhaps will help spark change altogether.

[-] modifier@lemmy.ca 100 points 1 week ago

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

If he is going to be that far up his own ass, I hope he is at least checking for polyps.

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If a handful of people are celebrating this and the rest are condemning that behaviour then sure I might listen to this dude.

If more than 95% of the comments I’ve seen across all platforms and political leaning, then I’m afraid that society has spoken and they’ve had enough of these parasites.

Do think we will have change? No, not unless we get more people willing to do things like that hero in NYC did the other morning.

[-] WoodScientist@lemmy.world 78 points 1 week ago

I'm for one hoping they never catch The Adjuster.

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[-] HawlSera@lemm.ee 55 points 1 week ago

Is the OTHER CEO of your company not an indication that you should probably stop your bitching?

Get the bankers out of my doctor's office, the only people who should have the authority to decide what care is necessary is the physician treating me and myself when signing informed consent forums.

[-] bloup@lemmy.sdf.org 55 points 1 week ago

Never forget that when a business owner tells you that they put consumers first, nothing is stopping them from converting their business into either a cooperative or a nonprofit organization dedicated to the public benefit. Even if it’s the case that at some given moment, the business really is putting consumers first, there is no benefit to the consumer for the business to continue operating as a privately owned for-profit institution. The only benefit a for-profit institution provides that a cooperative or nonprofit cannot, is the power for leadership to prioritize their own interests above all other stakeholders whenever it suits them.

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[-] RagingSnarkasm@lemmy.world 42 points 1 week ago
[-] ThePowerOfGeek@lemmy.world 16 points 1 week ago

I understand the reference. But in this case my immediate thought was "yeah, urinal cake!"

[-] ChaoticEntropy@feddit.uk 40 points 1 week ago

Who decides what is necessary? Ohhh... the beancounter AI full of errors, cool.

[-] Grass@sh.itjust.works 32 points 1 week ago

hold on, the words on bullet casings part was real?

[-] kamenlady@lemmy.world 16 points 1 week ago

The look alike contest was also real.

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[-] TheLowestStone@lemmy.world 29 points 1 week ago

I wonder how much this shitbird spent on private security immediately after recording this.

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[-] jaybone@lemmy.world 28 points 1 week ago

I can’t wait to be next in line for Mr. Bones wild ride.

[-] RedditWanderer@lemmy.world 25 points 1 week ago

Someone wanna protect us against the pressure of rich assholes and unnecessary capitalism

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[-] uberdroog@lemmy.world 24 points 1 week ago
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[-] oldbaldgrumpy@lemmy.world 23 points 1 week ago

That guy can smoke a turd in hell for all i care.

[-] eran_morad@lemmy.world 23 points 1 week ago

Thoughts and prayers. Probably not the kind Mr. Fuckwitty would prefer.

[-] OwlPaste@lemmy.world 23 points 1 week ago

What a fucking plonker

[-] expatriado@lemmy.world 22 points 1 week ago

"not to engage with the media" video going viral eh?

[-] SlopppyEngineer@lemmy.world 21 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

And suddenly the world is a lot closer to "Choom, I've got us a preem gig to flatline a corpo rat."

[-] wheeldawg@sh.itjust.works 19 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

It's really crazy what capitalism and a few bucks can do to people.

Someone dox him and make his life hell. He's already old, he'll get so damn cranky quick.

Obviously "a few bucks" in this case means millions, of course.

[-] RememberTheApollo_@lemmy.world 19 points 1 week ago

Their only concern is their fealty to the bottom line. We are only the sheep to be shorn for it. Sheep aren’t supposed to fight back.

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[-] boaratio@lemmy.world 18 points 1 week ago

"Industry"

Industries are things that produce a product, the insurance providers are just the middle men that jack up the price.

[-] GhiLA@sh.itjust.works 17 points 1 week ago

bang

Fuck, I hit Bezos by mistake. Why are all you cunts bald!?

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[-] Trebuchet@lemm.ee 17 points 1 week ago

That last line is perfect

[-] zbyte64@awful.systems 15 points 1 week ago

We should really take the time to appreciate this man's dedication to the grindset and professionalism. He woke up earlier than most executives to get this once in a lifetime opportunity. He arranged travel plans by bus to execute on a plan that, by all objective measures, worked. Really they're just upset the murderer did it better.

[-] UraniumBlazer@lemm.ee 14 points 1 week ago

Ooo someone really likes bunnies, huh

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this post was submitted on 08 Dec 2024
877 points (100.0% liked)

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