UnitedHealth Group (UNH) , the largest health insurance provider in the U.S., ended 2024 on a devastating note. The company, which owns UnitedHealthcare and Optum, has been embroiled in massive controversy after UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was shot and killed in front of a Hilton hotel in midtown Manhattan last month.

In his first public comments since one of his executives was shot to death, UnitedHealth Group CEO Andrew Witty said the healthcare system “needs to function better.”

UnitedHealth reported fourth-quarter results on Thursday that reflected persistent challenges for the health insurance sector.

The UnitedHealth Group leader whose murder in December unleashed a torrent of public frustration and dissatisfaction with the U.S. health care system was pushing for some of the very improvements that critics have been seeking.

UnitedHealth's CEO criticized the healthcare system as "confusing," "complex" and "costly" in first earnings call since the murder of Brian Thompson.

Insurance is shaping up to be one of the big themes of 2025. The California wildfires have put a spotlight on the property side of the business, while the recent murder of Brian Thompson, one of the top executives at UnitedHealth (NYSE:UNH),