CEO of UnitedHealth Group Andrew WItty said Thursday that the company is confident it can grow its business in fiscal 2025. His optimism comes shortly after the head of its insurance unit was gunned down in New York City, sparking a heated conversation about the role of the company. health insurance industry in the United States.

“The people at UnitedHealth Group remain focused on making high-quality, affordable health care more available to more people while making the health care system easier for patients and providers to navigate, positioning us well for growth in 2025,” Witty said at the company’s earnings call. report on Thursday

The company had revenue of $100.81 billion in the quarter. That was slightly below Wall Street’s estimate of $101.76 billion.

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The company’s annual medical expense ratio, which is calculated by dividing the total medical expenses paid by an insurer by the total insurance premiums collect: increased to 85.5%, from 83.2% in 2023.

Premium income rose to $76.48 billion in the fourth quarter, up from $73.23 billion in the same period a year earlier.

Andrew Witty, chief executive of UnitedHealth Group Inc., arrives during a Senate Finance Committee hearing in Washington, DC, Wednesday, May 1, 2024. (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images/Getty Images)

This marked the first quarter since United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson was shot and killed outside a New York City hotel in early December in what police called a “premeditated and targeted attack “. As the hunt for his killer began, dozens of people vented their frustrations about America’s health care system online, with many even mocking Thompson’s murder.

Luigi Mangione was arrested and charged in connection with Thompson’s murder on December 4.

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During the company’s earnings call, Witty thanked everyone for the “overwhelming expressions of sympathy and support.” after Thompson’s murder.

A police officer stands guard outside the Hilton Hotel in Midtown Manhattan, where UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, 50, was shot and killed, police said, on Wednesday, December 4, 2024. (Julia Bonavita/Fox News Digital/Fox News)

“Many of you knew Brian personally. You knew what he meant to all of us and how he gave his time to help make the health care system work better for all the people he was privileged to serve,” Witty said, and added that Thompson. “I would go in with passion and care to find solutions to improve experiences, whether for an individual consumer, an employer or a public health agency.”

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He went on to say that there are hundreds of thousands of nurses, doctors, caseworkers, customer service specialists, pharmacists and technologists within the company “who share this commitment and are determined to move this work forward.”

“The task before us, all health care providers, payers, employers, pharmaceutical companies and policy makers is to continue to improve quality and health outcomes for individuals and their families while reducing costs for everybody,” Witty said.