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 Group CEO Andrew Witty honored Brian Thompson, the health insurance executive murdered last month, praising his dedication to improving the U.S. health care system. Witty acknowledged public support following the tragedy and highlighted the nation’s costly health care as the root issue behind access and quality concerns.

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.

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

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.

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

The CEO of UnitedHealth Group said Thursday that shortcomings of America’s health care system must be addressed.