Two years before Brian Thompson was gunned down on the streets of New York, the health insurance industry’s top officials received a string of frustrated, angry responses.
“Making health care more affordable means more money in people’s pockets,” Thompson, the chief executive of insurance company UnitedHealth Group, had written on LinkedIn. “That’s more important now than ever. Lowering drug prices and improving price transparency are two ways we are working to lower costs for UnitedHealthcare members. “
Underneath the article, there were a few who praised the sentiment. “I want to know, in whose pockets is the money?” wrote one user. “It seems that the members are not the most receptive when the ratio of the CEO to the average paid employee is 30:1 and the income increases more than 10 per year.”
Another reported that his 86-year-old mother’s health plan was terminated without notice.
“Do better,” said one woman who said she was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer, but was forced to cancel her insurance after UnitedHealth denied her medication. “Every month there is a different reason for rejection. As of today, we have exceeded our budget for the year, spending more than 20,000 dollars. [£16,000]. Since we are in our 60s – we don’t have time to fix it.”
Now, Thompson’s murder at the hands of a convicted murderer has sparked further public outrage in the US about the state of the country’s health care system.
There is speculation that the motive for Brian Thompson’s killing was connected to his work at UnitedHealthcare – NYPD News/Handout via Reuters.
For some, compassion seems inadequate. Within hours of the killing, videos appeared online in which nurses and patients posted horror stories of having to deal with health insurers. Under the video on CNN of the shooting, a spokesperson said: “Thoughts and condolences to the family. Unfortunately my condolences are not outside the network.”
The killer is still on a killing spree in the attack on Thompson and their motive is unknown. However, speculation is mounting that he was targeted because of his work in the health insurance industry. Speaking to reporters this week, Thompson’s estranged wife said she had been threatened in the past. He said that this could be about health “closure”.
Evidence obtained Thursday only added fuel to the theory that Thompson’s role played a role in the attack. Law enforcement officials revealed that the bombs found at the crime scene had the words “deny,” “defend” and “destroy.”
Some have suggested that this may refer to the methods used by insurers to avoid paying claims to patients, with a book published in 2010 entitled Delay, Deny, Defend: Why Insurance Companies Don’t Pay Claims and What You Can Do About It.
In the book, author Jay Feinman writes, “All insurance companies have an incentive to sell their customers to increase profits.”
Frustration with the state of US health care has been building for years. Speaking in April, Democratic Senator Bernie Sanders said: “The system is not designed to provide health care for all people in an affordable way. It is a system designed to make huge profits for insurance companies, drug companies, and many other industries within the system. He said that the system is “completely broken”. .
Insurers argue that it’s the drug manufacturers who are taking the profits, not them. However, there are clear problems at play. Across America, 85 million people are uninsured or uninsured. For those who pay for insurance, it is a significant chunk of their pay packet.
By 2022, health insurance was second only to wages as a component of workers’ compensation, at 7.9pc of their pay packet. Costs for family health insurance plans offered through employers have only risen since, rising 7pc this year to $25,550.
Many of those covered say they are being overcharged for services they believe should be covered by their insurance.
Research by the Commonwealth Fund earlier this year found that more than two in five working-age people have received a bill or been charged a co-pay – a set amount patients must pay before being insured – for a health service they considered. it must be covered by insurance.
That has caused a huge uproar for health insurers. According to a survey from Gallup, less than a third of Americans have a positive view of the healthcare industry. Only oil and gas, the federal government and the drug companies came out big.
Another gripe with those dealing with insurance has been “price denial”. Although companies are not required to publish how often they reject complaints, legal studies have said the issue is important.
A Senate investigation earlier this year found that the three largest companies in the area – UnitedHealthcare, Humana and CVS – were all denying nurses to people who suffered from falls and strokes. It accused UnitedHealthcare of denying nursing home applications three times as often as it did for other services. The companies denied the report.
Currently, all UnitedHealthcare executives can mourn one another. Andrew Witty, chief executive of parent company UnitedHealth Group, said the news was “appalling”.
“Our hearts go out to his family, especially his mother, his wife Paulie, his brother and his two sons, who lost their father today,” he said.
But not everyone can appreciate the human problem of the story. As one nurse said on TikTok: “I don’t feel sorry for him because of all the patients and their families.”
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