By Amina Niasse and Ross Kerber

NEW YORK/BOSTON (Reuters) – UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: ) shareholders on Wednesday said they have asked the company to prepare a report on the costs and public health impacts associated with ” practices that limit or delay access to health care.”

If the proposal makes it to a vote at the company’s annual meeting it will raise a charged topic after a senior executive was shot in Manhattan last month.

A UnitedHealth spokeswoman said the company will respond to shareholder proposals for the 2025 proxy statement once it files the document that serves as the agenda for its annual meeting, which has not yet been scheduled. In recent years, the company has issued its proxy in April before an annual meeting in June.

Those who filed the resolution include religious groups led by the Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary of Quebec, and Trillium Asset Management.

The group proposed an analysis of how prior authorization, or approval, is required by an insurer before a patient can receive medical care, and denials of medical services lead to patient to stop treatment.

“The pattern of delays and denials of medically necessary care by UnitedHealth and other insurance companies harms more than the patient themselves,” said Wendell Potter, president of the Center for Health & Democracy and a former Cigna executive. (NYSE:), said in a statement sent in support of the resolution of the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility.

UnitedHealth operates the nation’s largest health insurer, UnitedHealthcare, as well as pharmacy benefit manager Optum and medical practices.

The killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in December sparked criticism of US health insurers, with hordes of patients describing delayed or denied care and accusing the companies of using fraudulent practices.

Luigi Mangione, 26, who is accused of killing Thompson, pleaded not guilty in a New York court in December after receiving thousands of dollars in public donations shortly after his arrest.

In a December statement, UnitedHealth said it approves and pays an average of 90% of submitted medical claims.

“Grossly inaccurate and highly misleading information has been spread about our company’s treatment of insurance claims,” ​​UnitedHealth said.

UnitedHealth CEO Andrew Witty in a message to employees described Thompson as “one of the good guys,” adding that the company will continue to serve the most vulnerable Americans.