UnitedHealth CEO Honors Slain Colleague Brian Thompson Amid PBM Reform Hearing

PBM Reform and Group Purchasing Organizations

• 🎯 The House of Representatives is expected to pass PBM reform, which is seen as good news for patients.
• 💡 In anticipation of PBM reform, the three major health insurance corporations have established Group Purchasing Organizations (GPOs) overseas, specifically in Ireland and Switzerland, to maintain profits.
• 🔍 An investigation into these GPOs found that one entity, GO MSR, despite lacking a website, email, or phone number, was negotiating rebate agreements and generating tens of millions of dollars per employee.
• ⚠️ These GPOs are viewed as an attempt to circumvent congressional authority on PBM reform and could negatively impact patient co-pays.

Remembering Brian Thompson

• 💔 UnitedHealth Group CEO Stephen Hemsley took a moment during a House hearing to honor the late UnitedHealthcare CEO, Brian Thompson, who was murdered the previous year.
• 👏 Hemsley described Thompson as a "force for good," a creative and effective individual who strived to address many of the industry's challenges.
• 🗣️ Hemsley emphasized that violence or the threat of violence is never appropriate and expressed that Thompson is dearly missed by his colleagues and family.
• 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Thompson is survived by his wife and two sons, who Hemsley acknowledged do not deserve the negative reactions seen on social media following his death.