The CEO of America's largest health insurer said he doesn't know any more about the GOP's Obamacare plans than you
"It's probably not often we say this but if you really have actually been following the media with respect to healthcare policy, I would say the media has been very accurate with respect to the narrative that is going on there," UnitedHealth Group CEO Stephen Hemsley said.
Hemsley also said UnitedHealth executives previously "engaged" with lawmakers about the details of the plan, but the American Health Care Act went through constant upheaval during its short lifespan.
The AHCA underwent rapid transitions over its month-long existence, as leaders added provisions to try and make it more popular with conservative Republicans. In fact, at one point during the White House's attempt to revive the AHCA after the initial vote's failure, it appeared that the moderate and conservative sides of the House GOP conference were told two different things by Vice President Mike Pence, and no one was sure what was actually being proposed.
With Congress on a two week recess, it appears that little progress has been made toward reviving the AHCA, despite the sizable Republican majority in both chambers of Congress.
"So, if you're following the media, generally speaking, you would be up to speed," Hemsley told analysts. "We couldn't probably offer any more insights than that."
The UnitedHealth CEO said the insurers' executives are committed to working with lawmakers and had some details they wanted included, but did not have any real update on the progress of the AHCA.