Two years ago Brian Thompson A post by health insurance officials about a man shot dead on the streets of New York drew heartbreaking, angry responses.
“Making health care more affordable means more money in people’s pockets,” Thompson, chief executive of UnitedHealth Group’s insurance unit, wrote on LinkedIn. “It’s more important now than ever. Lowering drug prices and improving price transparency are two ways we’re working to lower costs for UnitedHealthcare members.
Below the post, there were few who appreciated the sentiment. “I’m curious, in whose pocket is the money?” One user wrote. “It appears that members are not the primary recipients when the average CEO to employee pay ratio is 30:1 and revenue grows more than 10% a year.”
Another described how his 86-year-old mother’s health care plan was terminated without notice.
“Get better,” said one woman who said she was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer, but was forced to drop her insurance coverage after UnitedHealth refused to provide the drugs. “Every month there is a different reason for denial. To date, we are best out of pocket for the year, spending over $20,000 [£16,000]. Since we are in our 60s – we don’t have time to make up for it. “
Now, Thompson’s murder at the hands of A masked killer has unleashed another outpouring of public anger in America over the state of the nation’s health care system.
There is speculation that the motive for Brian Thompson’s killing is linked to his work at United Healthcare – NYPD News / Handout via Reuters
For some people, empathy seems to be in short supply. Within hours of the killing, videos appeared online in which nurses and patients posted horror stories of their dealings with health care insurers. Under a video on CNN of the shooting, one commenter said: “Thoughts and condolences to the family. Unfortunately my condolences go out to the network.”
The search for the assailant in the Thompson attack is still ongoing and their motive is unknown. however, Speculation has increased that he was targeted because of his work in the health insurance industry. Speaking to reporters this week, Thompson’s estranged wife suggested he had been the victim of threats in the past. He said these could be more than health care “coverage.”
Evidence unearthed Thursday only added fuel to the theory that Thompson’s job played a role in the attack. Law enforcement officials revealed that shell casings at the crime scene were emblazoned with the words “refuse”, “save” and “deposit”.
Some have suggested that this may be a reference to tactics used by insurers to avoid paying claims to patients, a book published in 2010 titled Delay, Denial, Defense: Why Insurance Companies Don’t Pay Claims and What can you do about it?
In the book, author Jay Feynman writes: “All insurance companies have an incentive to cut their customers to increase profits.”
Frustration with the state of the US healthcare system has been building for years. Speaking in April, Senator Bernie Sanders said: “This is a system that is not designed to provide health care to all people in a cost-effective way. It is a system designed to make huge profits for insurance companies, drug companies, and many other industries within the system. He claimed the system was “completely broken”.
Insurers argue that they are facing rising medical costs instead of increasing profits. However, there are signs that the system is starting to crack.
Currently, across America, 85 million people are either uninsured or underinsured. For those who pay for insurance, it is an important part of their pay packet.
By 2022, health insurance was second only to salaries as a component of workers’ compensation, at 7.9pc of their pay packet. Costs for family health insurance plans offered by employers rose 7pc this year to $25,572.
Many of those covered claim 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 adults had received a bill or been charged a co-payment – a fixed amount patients are covered by insurers. must pay before being offered – for a health care service they thought should be covered by insurance.
It has led Growing resentment for health insurers. According to a Gallup poll, less than a third of Americans have a positive view of the health care industry. Only oil and gas, the federal government and pharmaceutical companies fared worse.
A particular gripe by those working with insurers is “denial rates”. Although companies are not required to publish how often they are denying claims, official studies claim the issue is significant.
A Senate committee investigation earlier this year claimed that the three biggest companies in the space — UnitedHealthcare, Humana and CVS — were all denying nursing care to people who suffered falls and strokes. It accused UnitedHealthcare of denying nursing stay requests three times more often than other services. The companies have denied this report.
For now, all UnitedHealthcare executives can mourn their colleagues. Andrew Witty, chief executive of parent company UnitedHealth Group, said the case was a “terrible tragedy”.
“Our hearts go out to his family, especially his mother, his wife Polly, his brother and his two boys, who lost a father today,” he said.
Yet not everyone appreciates the human tragedy of the case. As one nurse said on TikTok: “I can’t help but feel sorry for him because of all those patients and their families.”
