this post was submitted on 16 Jan 2025
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[–] RememberTheApollo_ 3 points 3 hours ago

UnitedHealth CEO says U.S. health system 'needs to function better'

UnitedHealth CEO says U.S. health system needs to bend in such a way that UHC makes more money by the government making sure they get more money and that it’s everyone else’s fault the HC system sucks because they need to make more money. Everything will be better when they make more money.

[–] dustyb0tt0mz 8 points 7 hours ago

you're going to get lip service and faux sympathy, but at least you got them talking about it. this is a clear example of how the only thing the american people have left to create change is violence.

[–] aceshigh 7 points 7 hours ago

lol someone doesn’t want to be next… so what changes is he going to be making?

[–] MothmanDelorian 6 points 7 hours ago

The best way to achieve this is to entirely dismantle the US health insurance industry.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 8 hours ago (4 children)
[–] [email protected] 3 points 4 hours ago

Nintendo announcing another Year of Luigi.

[–] camr_on 9 points 7 hours ago
[–] [email protected] 3 points 6 hours ago

Mario, presumably

[–] amon 5 points 8 hours ago

Bang bang bang

[–] [email protected] 8 points 8 hours ago

It needs to function without a layer of parasites between doctors and patients.

[–] Freefall 30 points 12 hours ago

I hear Mario bros music....

[–] Rhoeri 2 points 7 hours ago

Hopefully this doesn’t mean it just needs to be dressed up more to appear as if it’s functional.

[–] bokherif 13 points 11 hours ago

Fuck these guys. I feel sick just seeing their faces.

[–] iAvicenna 53 points 14 hours ago (4 children)

wow he really said this?

“Participants in the system,” he said, derive benefit from high health care costs. While lower prices and improved services can be good for consumers and patients, Witty said, they can “threaten revenue streams for organizations that depend on charging more for care.”

Yes this basic human right could be cheap or even free, but then how would shareholders make more money exploiting it?

[–] [email protected] 5 points 7 hours ago (1 children)

His entire business model is based on reducing the efficiency of health care spending and he is directly incentivized to maximize profits by minimizing health care spending efficiency.

[–] MothmanDelorian 5 points 7 hours ago (1 children)

US health insurers literally offer zero social benefit. They should not exist as the entire industry in harmful rent seeking.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 4 hours ago

The concept of insurance makes sense - pooling risk so that everyone can share a little pain all the time, so that unlikely but catastrophic events don't wipe individuals out. Making this arrangement for-profit is asinine.

[–] FlyingSquid 13 points 11 hours ago

He's also just straight up lying. I'm a participant in the system with chronic health issues. I would have benefited more from never going to see a doctor and kept my family out of debt than what I ended up doing.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 11 hours ago

Bro literally said,that they don't care about anything but profits and are willing to kill people for this.

[–] jj4211 1 points 7 hours ago

Sounds like he's trying to cast everyone else but the insurance companies as the bad organizations, and that they will be taking measures to make that more clear to the people.

In short "don't shoot us, shoot these other guys if you have to shoot someone!"

[–] cultsuperstar 15 points 12 hours ago

"We can't lower costs. We won't make as much money."

[–] [email protected] 73 points 20 hours ago (3 children)

While lower prices and improved services can be good for consumers and patients, Witty said, they can “threaten revenue streams for organizations that depend on charging more for care.”

are they a health insurance or a revenue stream insurance?

[–] Larry13 9 points 10 hours ago

That has to be one of the most tone deaf and evil (the banal greedy kind) of things I've ever heard.

While law enforcement can be good for citizens and society, Capone said, they can “threaten revenue streams for organizations that depend on doing crime.”

Same vibe right?

[–] [email protected] 42 points 15 hours ago* (last edited 15 hours ago) (1 children)

are they a health insurance or a revenue stream insurance?

Come now, I think we already have that answer.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 9 hours ago

In other words, productivity gains increase poverty. Congratulations on owning your most powerful smart phone yet, but now a bean and rice burrito from a fast food place is over 6 USD.

[–] Manifish_Destiny 8 points 15 hours ago

You have your answer under capitalism. Unfortunately good healthcare and late capitalism seem to not be too compatible.

[–] [email protected] 47 points 21 hours ago

“We only do reprehensible things because we’re allowed to. We would totally be ethical if forced to!”

[–] distantsounds 68 points 22 hours ago (2 children)
[–] Lemminary 20 points 14 hours ago
[–] [email protected] 8 points 15 hours ago (1 children)

Haven't seen that one before...

Love it!!

[–] Arbiter 175 points 1 day ago (4 children)

“Please don’t kill me. :(“ Begs UnitedHealth CEO

[–] [email protected] 10 points 17 hours ago

"Don't mistake their self-preservation for empathy." -Josh Johnson

[–] [email protected] 94 points 1 day ago (6 children)

Not really, he's doubling down:

“Many of you knew Brian … he devoted his time to help make the health system work better for all of the people we’re privileged to serve.”

[–] [email protected] 1 points 6 hours ago

Many of you knew Brian … he devoted his time to help make the health system work better for all of the privileged we serve.”

Fixed it.

[–] jj4211 1 points 7 hours ago

Nah, he's trying to promote a narrative of "there are bad guys in the system, but not us, look at those drug company CEOs over there please... they are the ones really screwing you..."

[–] [email protected] 77 points 1 day ago (1 children)

for all of the people we’re privileged to serve.

They serve the shareholders.

[–] Iceman 13 points 14 hours ago

So it's a true statement in the sense that they made the healthcare system better at extracting profit from their costumers to serve the shareholders. Death and suffering is just a method. Andrew Witty, what a soulless shit.

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[–] DirkMcCallahan 141 points 1 day ago

"The system needs to function better," says the figurehead of a completely unnecessary middleman.

[–] [email protected] 36 points 21 hours ago (1 children)

They say this because...

... anyone?

That's right, Timmy, it's because they want to execute a large merger once Trump is in power.

[–] paraphrand 28 points 21 hours ago* (last edited 21 hours ago)

“We’ll be able to improve efficiency, reduce duplicative effort and increase profits.”

“And lower rates?”

“What?”

[–] FlyingSquid 124 points 1 day ago (6 children)

Cool. Shut down your company and tell everyone else in your network to do the same.

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