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.”

Click in for more news from The Hill{beacon} Health Care Health Care   The Big Story UnitedHealth CEO blames drug companies for high costsIn his first public remarks since the murder of

The CEO of UnitedHealth Group has defended its role in America's health system as the company posted its first earnings results since the murder of one of its top executives. Sir Andrew Witty spoke to analysts as the firm reported mixed results,

The CEO of UnitedHealth Group defended the company's role in the U.S. health care system days after a report said the company made huge profits by significantly marking up the cost of lifesaving drugs.

In its first results since its insurance unit CEO was fatally shot in New York City, UnitedHealth Group reported Thursday weaker-than-expected fourth-quarter revenue, prompting its shares to fall in early morning trading despite quarterly profit beating projections.