UnitedHealthcare Group chief makes controversial claims about CEO Brian Thompson in leaked video

The CEO of UnitedHealth Group, the parent company of UnitedHealthcare, staunchly defended the insurer as an essential part of the healthcare system, even as some online users expressed support for the gunman who fatally shot UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.

UnitedHealth Group CEO Andrew Witty addressed employees in a nearly three-minute video, three days after the unidentified shooter killed Thompson, 50, outside a Manhattan hotel.

Following the shooting, many on social media criticized the company for its history of denying necessary treatments, especially under Thompson's leadership, while some even praised the shooter.

Witty praised Thompson for his commitment to the company and expressed pride in "what this company does on behalf of people in need across the country."

He also claimed that few individuals "in the history of the US healthcare industry [have] had a bigger effect on American healthcare than Brian."

In the leaked video, shared by independent journalist Ken Klippenstein, Witty assured employees that the company would continue its usual operations.

He stated that UnitedHealthcare, the largest health insurance provider in the US, would maintain its focus on "patients, consumers and members" as part of its mission to assist everyone within the healthcare system.

Witty emphasized that the company’s mission is "to make sure that we help the system improve by helping the experiences of individuals get better and better."

He described the insurer's role as critical in ensuring healthcare is "safe, appropriate and is delivered when people need it."

"We guard against the pressures that exist for unsafe care or for unnecessary care to be delivered in a way which makes the whole system too complex and ultimately unsustainable," Witty argued.

"So we continue to make that case," he added. "We will continue to do the work we do."

Witty concluded his message by urging employees to "tune out that critical noise that we're hearing right now."

"It does not reflect reality. It is simply a sign of an era in which we live," he said, encouraging staff to "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."

Meanwhile, Americans insured by UnitedHealthcare have long criticized the company for refusing to cover necessary treatments. An analysis by ValuePenguin revealed that it denies 32 percent of claims—twice the industry average for large insurers.