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

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 (UNH) , the largest health insurance provider in the U.S., ended 2024 on a devastating note. The company, which owns UnitedHealthcare and Optum, has been embroiled in massive controversy after UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was shot and killed in front of a Hilton hotel in midtown Manhattan last month.

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.

UnitedHealth's CEO criticized the healthcare system as "confusing," "complex" and "costly" in first earnings call since the murder of Brian Thompson.