{"id":135282,"date":"2024-12-10T01:57:56","date_gmt":"2024-12-09T18:57:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/?p=135282"},"modified":"2024-12-10T01:57:56","modified_gmt":"2024-12-09T18:57:56","slug":"leaked-video-shows-unitedhealth-ceo-defending-practices-that-prevent-unnecessary-care","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/?p=135282","title":{"rendered":"Leaked video shows UnitedHealth CEO defending practices that prevent \u2018unnecessary\u2019 care"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"fluid\"\r\n     data-ad-layout-key=\"-fb+5w+4e-db+86\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"7910942971\"><\/ins>\r\n<script>\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div data-article-body=\"true\">\n<ul class=\"col-body mb-4\">\n<li class=\"ml-4 list-disc\">\n<div class=\"\">\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\"><strong>A leaked video of UnitedHealth CEO Andrew Witty<\/strong> defending claim denials after Brian Thompson\u2019s murder has sparked backlash. Critics argue the policy contributes to medical bankruptcies and lives lost due to denied care, highlighting widespread anger at systemic issues in U.S. health care.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">In a video recorded after the Dec. 4 murder of Brian Thompson, <a href=\"https:\/\/fortune.com\/company\/unitedhealth-group\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:UnitedHealth Group;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">UnitedHealth Group<\/a> CEO Andrew Witty said his company&#8217;s policy of rejecting a certain percentage of claims for coverage was in the best interests of all stakeholders\u2014because the alternative would be a worst-case scenario of a systemic collapse in the health care system.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">\u201cWe guard against the pressures that exist for unsafe or unnecessary care to be delivered in a way that makes the whole system too complex and ultimately unsustainable,\u201d he told employees.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">The video was initially leaked to independent journalist <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kenklippenstein.com\/p\/video-united-health-ceo-laments-offensive\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Ken Klippenstein;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">Ken Klippenstein<\/a>, one of the first to criticize UHG\u2019s treatment of its clients. <em>Fortune<\/em> reached out to UHG for comment.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">According to\u00a0ValuePenguin, a site that helps\u00a0users\u00a0compare insurance plans&#8217; costs, UnitedHealth&#8217;s 32% claims denial rate was\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.valuepenguin.com\/health-insurance-claim-denials-and-appeals#denial-rates\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:twice the industry average;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">twice the industry average<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">Captured on CCTV, Johnson\u2019s killing became a polarizing issue as many Americans shared personal accounts of loved ones they claim might still be alive had UnitedHealth not denied coverage of care they believed was needed.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">There is broad anger against a system that has plunged millions of Americans into <a href=\"https:\/\/tryascend.com\/bankruptcy\/statistics\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:medical bankruptcy;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">medical bankruptcy<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"col-body mb-4 text-xl font-bold md:text-2xl\">Broken health care system<\/h2>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">Health insurers faced more criticism when Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield said in mid-November that it would limit the amount of coverage it provides for anesthesia regardless of how long a surgery may take.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">The\u00a0American Society of Anesthesiologists\u00a0blasted it as \u201cthe latest in a long line of appalling behavior by commercial health insurers looking to drive up their profits at the expense of patients.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">ASA president Donald Arnold added it was a \u201ccynical money grab.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">Anthem\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/edition.cnn.com\/2024\/12\/05\/health\/anthem-blue-cross-blue-shield-anesthesia-claim-limits\/index.html\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:reversed;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">reversed<\/a>\u00a0the decision the day after Thompson\u2019s killing.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">The fury directed at UnitedHealth is emblematic of America\u2019s broader inability to reform its patchwork health care system.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">The U.S. spends\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.healthsystemtracker.org\/chart-collection\/health-spending-u-s-compare-countries\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:nearly twice as much per capita;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">nearly twice as much per capita<\/a>\u00a0than the average wealthy industrial nation, according to findings from the Peterson-KFF Health Tracker, published earlier this year.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.healthsystemtracker.org\/brief\/how-does-medical-inflation-compare-to-inflation-in-the-rest-of-the-economy\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Health care costs have risen 121% since 2000;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">Health care costs have risen 121% since 2000<\/a>, faster than the 86% increase for all consumer goods and services over the same period, according to the same data.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"col-body mb-4 text-xl font-bold md:text-2xl\">American patients pay higher costs<\/h2>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">Discovering new drugs is an expensive endeavor that can see a company invest a\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/fortune.com\/asia\/2024\/07\/31\/ai-health-aging-longevity-wellness-disease-drugs-pharmaceuticals-insilico-brainstormai\/?utm_source=search&amp;utm_medium=suggested_search&amp;utm_campaign=search_link_clicks\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:decade of time and resources;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">decade of time and resources<\/a>\u00a0to bring a promising treatment to market only to see it fail in the final phase of clinical testing.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">Even when a drug is approved by regulators, companies downstream pile on added costs.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">Pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) including UnitedHealth\u2019s own <a href=\"https:\/\/fortune.com\/company\/optum\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Optum;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">Optum<\/a> Rx, negotiate rebates off list prices and determine which treatments are covered by insurers. But PBMs are <a href=\"https:\/\/fortune.com\/2024\/09\/25\/elon-musk-bernie-sanders-ozempic-wegovy-healthcare-price\/?utm_source=search&amp;utm_medium=suggested_search&amp;utm_campaign=search_link_clicks\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:incentivized to drive up costs;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">incentivized to drive up costs<\/a>, since commissions are linked to the list price.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">Another layer of costs stems from all the complicated logistics, handling, and\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.eaglepointcap.com\/blog\/mckesson-a-royalty-on-the-revenue-of-others\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:compliance around these regulated substances;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">compliance around these regulated substances<\/a>,\u00a0from the drug manufacturer to the point of sale.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">Here just three companies\u2014<a href=\"https:\/\/fortune.com\/company\/mckesson\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:McKesson;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">McKesson<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/fortune.com\/company\/cardinal-health\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Cardinal Health;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">Cardinal Health<\/a>, and AmerisourceBergen\u2014control 90% of the wholesale distribution market.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"col-body mb-4 text-xl font-bold md:text-2xl\">Worse health care outcomes<\/h2>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">Finally, <span>America\u2019s justice system&#8217;s propensity to award high compensation over malpractice has driven\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.oecd.org\/content\/dam\/oecd\/en\/publications\/reports\/2006\/12\/medical-malpractice_g1gh76dd\/9789264029057-en.pdf\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:insurance premiums;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">insurance premiums<\/a>\u00a0for several medical professions so high that it discourages medical school students from entering high-risk<\/span> areas like anesthesiology.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">The result is\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.healthsystemtracker.org\/brief\/the-burden-of-medical-debt-in-the-united-states\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Americans owe over $220 billion in medical debt;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">Americans owe over $220 billion in medical debt<\/a>\u00a0in aggregate, according to research published by Peterson-KFF.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">The overwhelming bulk of that is held by those with more than $10,000 in <a href=\"https:\/\/pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/articles\/PMC6366487\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:unpaid bills;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">unpaid bills<\/a> as opposed to less, with low-income, rural, and Southern Americans affected most.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">Unfortunately, there is no upside for patients arising from these higher costs.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">\u201cDespite higher health care spending, America\u2019s health outcomes are not any better than those in other developed countries,\u201d the Peter G. Peterson Foundation <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pgpf.org\/article\/how-does-the-us-healthcare-system-compare-to-other-countries\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:argued;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">argued<\/a> in August. \u201cThe United States actually performs worse in some common health metrics like life expectancy, infant mortality, unmanaged diabetes, and safety during childbirth.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">This story was originally featured on <a href=\"https:\/\/fortune.com\/2024\/12\/09\/unitedhealth-ceo-andrew-witty-brian-thompson-claims-denials\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Fortune.com;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">Fortune.com<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"fluid\"\r\n     data-ad-layout-key=\"-fb+5w+4e-db+86\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"7910942971\"><\/ins>\r\n<script>\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script><br \/>\n<br \/><div data-type=\"_mgwidget\" data-widget-id=\"1660802\">\r\n<\/div>\r\n<script>(function(w,q){w[q]=w[q]||[];w[q].push([\"_mgc.load\"])})(window,\"_mgq\");\r\n<\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.yahoo.com\/news\/leaked-video-shows-unitedhealth-ceo-151048696.html\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A leaked video of UnitedHealth CEO Andrew Witty defending claim denials after Brian Thompson\u2019s murder has sparked backlash. Critics argue the policy contributes to medical bankruptcies and lives lost due &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/?p=135282\" class=\"more-link\">Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-135282","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-business","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/135282","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=135282"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/135282\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=135282"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=135282"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=135282"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}