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.”

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.

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, just weeks after the shooting of Brian Thompson brought attention to the industry.

By Sriparna Roy and Bhanvi Satija (Reuters) -UnitedHealth CEO Andrew Witty said on Thursday that healthcare in the U.S. needs to be "less confusing, less complex and less costly" during the company's first earnings call since the murder of Brian Thompson,

UnitedHealth Group CEO Andrew Witty acknowledged the U.S. health care problems, cited high prices of medical services as root cause.