The New York Times turned off the comment section on the UnitedHealth CEO’s op-ed after it became flooded with negative replies accusing the executive of empty promises.
Andrew Witty, the CEO of UnitedHealth Group, mourned the loss of UnitedHeathCare CEO Brian Thompson in an editorial piece published by the New York Times Friday, while also offering sympathy to those frustrated with the healthcare system.
But while Witty said that he was “willing to partner with anyone” to find ways to provide high-quality care at a lower cost, hundreds of readers mocked him, saying he offered no real solutions to the problem.
“I have read this twice, and in essence it says nothing. What is he proposing to change or improve?” one person commented. “Tone-deaf corporate speak design to try and quell the anger of the masses; nice try,” another person wrote under the op-ed.
“This is the quintessential CEO statement: not a single actual idea or recommendation, and it gets released by corporate media anyways,” another person said in the comments. “What a disingenuous piece,” one person commented.
Some users even shared their own stories, saying they had been denied claims that left them with large bills they were unable to pay.
“Denying an elderly woman (my mom) gap health insurance because she has a preexisting condition – arthritis,” another person commented. “That’s corporate greed.”
“When I had UHC and my then husband needed spinal surgery UHC deemed most of it medically unnecessary and socked us with a $300k bill as our share,” one user commented, adding that it took them two years to get the bill reduced.
The Times turned off the comments hours after the publication of the op-ed, however the old comments are still available to read.
Thompson’s murder sparked a surge in social media users critiquing and discussing health insurance companies. Similar to the NYT’s comment section, dozens shared stories of times where they were allegedly turned away by insurance companies.
Others have joined a fanbase for Luigi Mangione, the alleged suspect in Thompson’s murder, creating GoFundMes for his legal defense and boosting support for him online. Mangione has been charged with second-degree murder.