On Dec. 4, 2024, the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson sparked public outrage and highlighted systemic issues within the U.S health insurance industry. When the UnitedHealth Group expressed their sadness for Thompson's death in a Facebook post, the post received 62,000 reactions--- and ironically, 57,000 of which were laughing emojis.
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| Credit: KARE 11 |
So why were people reacting the way they were? Was this a minority v elite power struggle? Though the gunman's identity and motive has not yet been identified, Thompson's widow revealed that there had been "some threats potentially related to a lack of coverage" targeted at her husband. These threats were not exclusively targeted at the CEO, but the corporation itself.
The problem
Interestingly, the bullet casting was marked with phrases like "deny" and "defend," which implies a connection to systemic issues in insurance industry. The public backlash reflects widespread frustration with the private insurance sector. These issues include insurers using practices like prior authorizations and AI-driven claim denials to control costs; and this is often at the expense of patient health, specifically those facing high-cost care. For example, the 2023 KFF survey revealed that nearly one in five insured adults experienced claim denials in a 12-month period. On top of that, 1 in 4 of these individuals faced significant delays or were ultimately unable to receive care. For UnitedHealthcare specifically, a senate report found that its denial rate for post-acute care doubled from 10.9% in 2020 to 22.7% in 2022, and while some of the increase is caused by the spike in demand due to covid, part of it can also be attributed to the company's increased reliance of automation in claims processing.
Although reports show that 81% of insured adults rate their insurance as "excellent" or "good," there's still a significant gap in consumer protection. Only 43% of adults challenged a denial of care, and 50% of which were successful in their appeal. This demonstrates the arbitrary nature of the system's algorithms and their denials. Having personally gone through the healthcare coverage registration process for myself and my family, it's definitely a hassle: making over 20 phone calls back and forth with three different corporate and governmental entities that are somehow connected to each other; registering on two different websites, and uploading a number of documents multiple times--I can see how this process can be extremely frustrating for many, especially those who are less proficient with technology. While it was a matter of whether I get cleared in time for sports tryouts, for other patients, the delay in coverage can greatly impact the decisions made by their families, especially on continuing with costly medications and medical trials for long-term treatment. In turn, this causes mental health strain among the impacted communities. For instance, 80% of adults reported anxiety or worry about delays in care, according to the Commonwealth Fund survey.
This ultimately exposes deep flaws in the US health care system. While private insurers struggle constantly with cases where clients are left with millions in unpaid medical bills, they are also blamed for prioritizing profits over patients. It's a systematic issue that private corporations cannot fix alone; and for this sector to keep running, public trust needs to be restored.
Are private insurers the ones to blame?
The underlying frustrations with the health insurance industry are also caused by market concentration issues, which are often caused by government policies/regulations. Federal programs like Medicare and Medicaid, essential for millions of Americans, unintentionally consolidate market power by favoring large insurers, which shuns out competitors and drive up costs. Some policies like restrictions on cross-state insurance sales fosters monopolistic behaviors and limits consumer choice. This can ultimately allow dominant insurers to slow down innovation/efficiencies to increase profit margin over patient care. As the social media reactions show earlier, Americans are increasingly aware of how systemic flaws in the system exacerbate their challenges with accessing accountable and affordable insurance providers. To make reforms, bureaucratic agencies have to step up and potentially deregulate the industry. Because by enabling greater participation from diverse competitors, the industry can shift toward prioritizing patient care, as more patients will be accounted for, not just by the dominant players in the market.
Sources:
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/05/nyregion/social-media-insurance-industry-brian-thompson.html
https://www.cnn.com/2024/12/06/business/insurance-claim-denials-unitedhealthcare-ceo/index.html
34 comments:
I think it's worrying that even such an important issue as health and healthcare is driven by money. Of course it makes sense that no company could run without making some profit, but prioritizing money over public and individual health is pretty evil. While there is no excuse to murdering someone, I think that people have a good reason to be frustrated with the current healthcare system. A semi-unregulated healthcare system that can drive up prices at their whim is troubling to consumers, especially where people can't choose whether to partake or not (just like rising food prices).
Also, the New York Times just released an article saying that the New York City Police arrested a man named Luigi Mangione (26) strongly suspected for the murder.
I find the reactions online around this assassination as very disheartening. Many online forums and profiles have even made memes out of the assassin, glorifying him and romanticizing his crime. Although this is not an outlier in the way that 'dark humor' is made around tragic events, but it is not the appropriate or even productive reaction. The main comment made out of this mess have been on our nation and the state of healthcare within it. However, violence is never the way to generate systemic changes, it just creates more tension, divisions, and creates an unsafe standard. Your statistics in the second half of the article are very compelling- and you make very astute points about the consolidation of power due to federal programs. The private sector cannot be blamed alone for the disparities in insurance + healthcare inequalities in the country, it is a complex, and multifaceted issue; and the simplification around it to blame the 'wealthy' only conflates the issue in a way that it isn't. It's a dumbed down alternative much more digestible than taking a critical look at more compounded solutions that require more resources, public+private cooperation, and further thought.
Though it is somewhat worrying that people online have been glorifying the murder of this CEO I would still say that there is a couple benefits to seeing the reaction of the people. As I've seen people from both sides of the aisle stating how they dislike the wealth gap and are ok with the murder of the CEO just because of their distain for the wealth gap I think it is important to note that even in this time of division that people on both sides can at least agree on something even if at this moment it may be something fairly grim but it is more about what this thing stands for as it stands people are upset about the wealth gap, they are upset about being screwed over by big corporations and they are upset that CEO's are making all this money off the healthcare of the working class and this combination of both sides is good for division in this country even if it is over something obviously no one condones in a vacuum.
I think the comments and the laughing emojis tell most of the story about our health care and how people think of it. It is simply unacceptable that private insurers slow down processes of innovation for the companies own benefit over the people of Americas health. Most are upset about how they are getting screwed over for their healthcare while the big CEO's are making all the money off of working class, and even though people are stating how they are ok with the CEO being murdered and no one seems too concerned with the CEO of their healthcare plans being killed. It is still important to remember that in this division people still have to come to agreement on something at this time and try to make change.
What stands out to me is the amount of media coverage this is assassination is getting -- I can't help but think of how this overshadows the suffering who were harmed or killed by Universal Healthcare itself, those who were denied insurance claims. It shifts the attention towards the elite/capital class rather than the systemic issues that are harming everyday citizens. The real problem is that healthcare is market-driven and for-profit, meaning that denying care brings more profit to insurance companies. It's important to address the idea that healthcare needs major reform, and it needs bipartisan cooperation to get it done. Instead of using healthcare as a political weapon (i.e. Trump cutting Medicare and trying to dismantle the Affordable Care Act), it is important to address the inequalities in the system and prioritize public health.
The reality of healthcare in the United States at the current moment seems bleak, with private insurance companies like United Health Care being able to outright deny coverage that so many Americans need. There’s also concern about other companies like Anthem Blue Cross recently proposing changes to how anesthesia, a necessity for surgery, is covered under their policies. While they ultimately did not go through with the decision, it's still concerning to think that insurance companies and their ceos would even think about such a policy being possible in the first place. The fate of many insurance companies and government-backed programs like medicare and medicaid seems uncertain when we have a president elect who wants to cut down on government spending, and these programs can seem like easy targets to restore budget deficits. It feels slimy that America's healthcare system has ultimately become intertwined with the economy in the way that it has. The issue is deeper than just who the ceo of a company is though. While this tragic death has been a chance for many Americans to vent their frustrations about insurance companies, it hasn’t seemed to bring any new talking points for the discussion around health care coverage.
Regardless of the situation, murder is always immoral. Placing all frustration of the healthcare system on one person and then killing this person, leaving behind clues to motive such as the monopoly money found in his bag and the words on the shell casings, is not a rational solution to a problem. I sure hope the insurance companies do not adjust policies to side with the protesters because that sets a precedent for Americans that being violent leads to getting their way.
Obviously murder is terrible, however whats worse is that it is actually working exactly how the murderer wanted it too. It is sparking a conversation around healthcare. While having these discussions is very necessary and as it stands right now many parts of healthcare are still messed up, I believe that the publics reaction and conversations around healthcare like this one just promote resorting to violence even more. It is sad that the only way our country investigates and talks about problems is when their is violence associated with them, but that is the reality right now. I think that in order to solve this problem, we need to be able to get the publics attention in ways that don't involve violence, setting examples for everyone that sees a problem and wants to highlight it to the country. It is hard to decide whether we should reward this kind of violence by having discussions and finding solutions to this problem, because on one hand this problem is one that effects a large part of our population and directly impacts peoples well being, but on the other hand the only reason why we would be talking about it was because someone got murdered. It is a tough situation for the american public to be in, but I think that this is such a major problem that needs to be solved that something needs to be changed.
The outrage over Brian Thompson’s death shows just how fed up people are with the U.S. healthcare system. The whole private insurance industry feels like it’s more about making money than actually helping people. Denying claims, delaying care, and relying on cold, impersonal algorithms is a huge problem. And when you throw in market monopolies, it’s like the system is set up to screw over patients. The fact that this isn’t getting fixed is wild. We need more competition and real reforms so that insurance companies actually care about patients instead of just making a profit off of them.
Following the murder of Brian Thompson, highlights the deep frustration that many Americans have with the healthcare system, especially regarding the insurance industry's involvement in preventing access to healthcare. Although the motives of the shooter are unknown, it is clear to be a sign of a public outcry due to the evident systemic problems within public healthcare. A majority of the public worry is towards the idea that insurance companies are putting cost control over patient care. The system can be extremely frustrating, as 1 in 5 insured individuals have had their claims denied. It is important to gain trust within citizens, and the insurance system is doing the exact opposite. It is important to treat patients with accessible care in order to keep a trustworthy nation.
Above all else, Brian Thompson was human. Regardless of his actions, many of the comments surrounding his death, such as laughing emojis, are incredibly insensitive and dehumanizing. That being said, I do think this event should serve as a reminder of the broader issues at play. It is a clear outcry that a serious conversation about healthcare is necessary at this time. I completely understand the arguments for change, but to do it in this manner is concerning. We as a country should be able to have tough conversations, disagree, and fight for what we believe in, but in a civilized manner. Disagreement is inevitable, but how we approach these disagreements defines who we are as a nation.
The death of Thompson is saddening — yes the private health insurance program is deeply flawed and unfair, but that can't all be put on one person. There certainly needs to be reform, as we can see with the reactions of Americans, and this reform should come quickly before something tragic such as the murder of Thompson happens again. However, with all the checks in the government, it is hard to pass policies efficiently.
The reactions of Americans reveals the lack of empathy, especially politically. Now, people don't really care or think about the life of others. They just hate, and many of them do this without doing any research, unlike in this article where evidence demonstrates that private insurers aren't all to blame.
The public’s reaction to the death really highlights the deep resentment people have towards insurance practices and the profit driven priorities that often harm patients. I think the issue here isn’t just corporate greed, government policies also do consolidate power among a few different insurers, which limits competition. Fixing this problem requires private as well as public sectors. To restore the trust they would need to prioritize the people over profitability and reduce the barriers to provide accessible healthcare for all.
People seem to be focusing on how terrible it is that the working class people are making a mockery out of this assassination, but no one seems to be paying attention to the attitudes of the rich. On that morning Brian Thompson was allegedly heading to an investors meeting held at the building he was fatally shot only a few meters away from, and that meeting still happened. These other rich elites walked right by his dead body to get to the meeting on time scheduled at 7am. These people never cared about anyone but themselves, and they definitely didn't care when they withheld health coverage to people in need, letting them die for an extra bump in their paychecks. An assassination is obviously not the right thing to do, but its hard to sympathize with people like this.
The death of Brian Thompson is deeply upsetting and should not be seen as a justification for violence, no matter the frustrations with the healthcare system. It's extremely disturbing that so many people online reacted to the news with laughing emojis, downplaying a serious situation and turning a person's death into a mockery. People seem to forget that this man has a family of his own who is watching these comments blow up online as some kind of joke. This kind of response only serves to deepen the divide between the public and those in positions of power, distracting from the real, systemic issues at play. Instead of resorting to dehumanizing reactions, the focus should be on addressing the growing injustices in healthcare—such as unfair claim denials, excessive bureaucracy, and profit-driven practices that harm patients. The anger is understandable, but it should be channeled into meaningful change, not into cruel online trolling or glorifying violence.
A smaller point from the blog that I find particularly concerning is the role of automation and AI in claim denials. It's one thing that the healthcare industry is already incredibly flawed, but considering the multitude of evidence on AI bias, it's not hard to imagine that as AI recognizes patterns in customer data, the fact that insurers can't collect protected categories (race, ethnicity, religion, etc.), can definitely create a basis for discrimination if they're being treated as neutral variables. In an AI-driven world, redlining becomes nearly impossible to figure out whether it's intentional or unintentional. On the ethical level, using automation in decision-making that will affect millions of people significantly in almost every aspect of their lives, not to mention their friends/relatives/social network, further strips away empathy and nuance from the process. It's not hard to empathize with those who support this "folk hero" from this point of view.
Knowing now the background of the assassin as someone who came from wealth, graduated from U Penn, and carries a "manifesto" is incredibly interesting, as it depicts how even someone who could typically be seen as a successful and not as likely to be affected by privatized healthcare can still take extreme actions against those in power. Mangione's poor physical and mental health should also be considered as potential motives/reasonings for his actions, and perhaps personal experience with failures in the healthcare system spurred him on. This serious case poses the loaded (yikes) question: was this democratic? In a sense, it could be argued that yes, Luigi Mangione's crazy plan did speak for a lot of people, as emphasized by the tens of thousands of people online supporting him, even nicknaming him "the adjuster." However, this in no way excuses his actions, as even though the killing might reflect some of the people's viewpoints, it is far too extreme and anarchist; rules and morals and some form of government presiding over the people are important even in the face of a nation aspiring to be as democratic as possible, as a complete democracy with no rules would likely instantly devolve. I see the frustrations of America's people who are outraged by the constant failure by the healthcare system to deliver efficiently and affordably, if at all, and while I agree that healthcare of course needs reform, I do not believe intimidation and violence are what will spark proper change.
didn't even consider this, that is a really interesting thing to note, and honestly yes it is quite difficult to find common ground with elites who seem so far away and self-centered. seeing other elites' reactions following this will be interesting
While murder is nonexcusable, it seemed to be the only way to spark a nationwide discussion about the true problem of the healthcare system in the United States. I hope this does not create a precedent for more violent crimes like this one, but it may be if measures aren't taken before people resort to desperate initiatives in an attempt for attention. The healthcare system in the United States is shameful and critiqued globally, for a good reason. The system only satisfies the elite and severely disadvantages the lower and middle classes. A course of action needs to be taken because money and profit should never come at the expense of people's health and lives.
There is a saying I have heard: When the poor have nothing to eat, the poor will eat the rich. Health insurance is a corrupt industry, with no corporation worse than United Healthcare. 32% denial rate. 32% DENIAL RATE?! They find any way they can to avoid paying patients the money that they themselves promised. That is 32% of life saving surgeries, 32% of retirement coverages, 32% of what should be far, far less. Murder is bad, no doubt about that. Who is killing more? The person who permitted the use of AI denying claims like they're door to door salesmen selling solar panels, or the guy who put a bullet in the guy who has let millions bleed out without help? I hope that this puts a question in the back of the rich and powerful - yes, you have the money, but money can't save you if you're evil. Karma, no matter in what way, came to a man who deserved it. Sorry for the bias, but my grandmother died of a preventable cancer that wasn't covered by her insurance. These companies don't actually care at all, and if the government is going to let them run free, it's up to the citizens who suffer to do something about it
There is a contrasting portrayal of Mangione on formal news outlets like the NYT and on social media platforms like X and Instagram. While news outlet's pieces are centered around his legislative consequences, and using polls to show that "most Americans are happy with their health insurance," people on X are making fake memes and conspiracies speculating his background that are mostly biased for him---and like you said, romanticizing his crime. The ruling of this case is also likely to be long lasting, because it'll be hard to find a jury who have minimal exposure to biases on this case. I hope that the media doesn't end up so obsessed over the entertaining aspect of this case to the point where their coverage and attention shift away from the underlying purpose of his crime- which is for there to be change in the healthcare insurance industry.
I completely agree with how America's healthcare system has become so intertwined with the economy that it's messy and difficult to address with one or few policy changes within the sector. I do see how the collaboration between governmental agencies and private corporations is an attempt to make a compromise between efficiency and equity. However, there is still more room for reforms.
This assassination has been getting a lot of media coverage and most people glorify the assassin for killing the CEO. Also, the amount of laughing emoji emphasizes how done people were with the whole situation, people are saying that they’re tired and want a big change. This says a lot of what people think of the healthcare system and how frustrated people were with the Healthcare system and its complicated insurance system. The fact that many insured people faced denial and delays while paying lots of money, says a lot about this system that prioritizes profit over patient care. Many hospitals treat patients like trash and don’t truly help them, they keep them in the hospital for a long time in order to earn more money, and send them home with some pills that they will continue to buy to help them. People are frustrated only to become worse when it comes to people with serious and life threatening conditions who are denied health coverage or forced to wait months before they can see any health care person. Because one person, although it was a terrible crime, stood up for the injustices they saw, and I honestly think that people will also do the same. This fight can get very dangerous very fast which has happened with this assassination. Thompson’s death is only the start of a larger issue which needs attention from people with authority who want real change. Many people are fed up with these issues and want real change, but it’s going to be hard to trust the healthcare system again after it prioritizes money instead of the people. The assassination is the start of a long fight.
The fact that almost immediately after his death there has been memes and jokes circulating, along with people praising or at least understanding what could've brought someone to such extreme measures, is telling of our collective belief in the drastic failure of our healthcare system.
As of late this story has been the top story on the news. People have made the whole situation into a joke and have even created memes regarding the situation. I do not think violence is ever the answer especially murder but this situation has shed serious light on the need for reform within the healthcare system. I think it is important that change is made soon to prevent further violence.
I do think that violence is not the answer to fixing a problem, and do think this murder was wrong. However, I am concerned how the discourse has been focused on how the reactions of the people are wrong as they celebrate rather than the underlying problem and how it reveals the deep flaws with our healthcare system. The issue is not that Americans are reacting wrong, but the core of the fact is that they have been so disillusioned and harmed by the healthcare system that they are inclined to act this way. The people are not celebrating an murderer because they have all collectively lost their morals, but rather because they would be mistreated and been pushed by healthcare system that had indeed killed hundreds more than this one killing, yet this is one that is highlighted. I do not condone murder, but when the system has been murdering others, it seems unfair that we only condemn the people.
I think the public reaction to Thompson's death reveals a broader issue the American people have with privatized healthcare and insurance. The healthcare industry being privatized seems a little morally grey in and of itself, because companies are making billions off of sickness. They drive up the cost of treatment (which is way cheaper in other countries), and then insurance denies claims. It doesn't excuse the shooter's actions, but I think the disdain for these companies is very universal. After all, according to a study in the National Library of Medicine, 58.5% of bankruptcies were (at least partially) caused by medical expenses. Aside from that, there are so many people who have died due to sub-par treatment/not being able to afford treatment, which is often due to insurance companies refusing to pay. I think the government should take this event to make major reforms to the healthcare system, and make a more equitable system.
This extremely sudden and tragic assassination of CEO Brain Thomas conveys to me how broken our healthcare system. I can understand why this system can frustrate even more sick people who need help if they can't get access to what they or their families need. Thompson’s death is shocking, but it also serves as a wake-up call for the America’s healthcare system, because shouldn’t feel like a battle for people who are already struggling. I personally think that for more change to happen we need more trust and transparency or our system will contuint to be broken
This assassination is a harsh wake-up call about the systemic dysfunction within the U.S. healthcare system. American's reaction to Brian Thompson’s death highlights the anger and frustration so many feel about insurance companies prioritizing profit over patient care. While it’s easy to blame private insurers, I think the deeper issue lies in how policies and regulations shape the market. By dividing power among a few large corporations, the government has unintentionally created a system that fosters inefficiency and neglects patients. Ultimately, fixing this system requires more than finger-pointing instead it needs collaboration between corporations, policymakers, and the public to rebuild trust and refocus on patient care.
This post sheds light on the deep frustrations many Americans have with the healthcare system, especially following the tragic death of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. The public's response to the company's statement, particularly the widespread use of laughing emojis, shows just how angry and disillusioned people are with the current state of the insurance industry. The issues mentioned like claim denials, prior authorizations, and automation in claims processing, are causing real harm to patients who face delays or even denial of care. The problem runs deeper than just private insurers; it's a systemic issue driven by monopolistic behaviors and flawed government policies. To address these challenges, there needs to be a shift in focus from profit to patient care, as well as stronger competition to ensure better, more accountable healthcare for all. Without these changes, it’s hard to see how trust in the system can be restored.
I agree with many of the comments about how healthcare, as important as it is for all of us, is driven by money and trying to make the most profit out of it. The people who have been negatively affected has increased every year and more and more people are getting frustrated by this. While I don't think killing the CEO should've been the solution, it raised the concerns over these private insurers. I can see the perspective of elitists concerning over how the wealthy are controlling us and doing whatever they want to increase their profits.
I think this shows how hard it is for the American people, and people in general, when they don’t have one specific person or corporation to face their anger at. The entire healthcare system is broken, and the CEO that was killed really couldn’t change that. He was just doing his job, and if he had tried doing something else, he probably would just have been fired. But he was a representation of the horribleness of the institution, so he took the fall.
I think that this is an example of people looking for a way to come together, or jumping at a sign of a common fight. However, I think social media may be taking it a bit too far. From comments about Mangione’s looks rather than his actions all over the internet, I think it is important to recognize that many people aren’t weighing in on the actual fight at all — many people are taking the situation extremely unseriously and ignoring the crime just to idolize a stranger. I think that Mangione successfully brought America’s attention to the issue (which wasn’t exactly quelled by police treatment of him), but the attention should be going towards America’s healthcare situation, not how attractive Mangione is or the fact that he graduated from UPenn. I think the large amount of social media coverage of Mangione and not his crime illustrates the problem the internet has with putting people on pedestals, when Mangione’s motives were meant to bring light to America’s broken healthcare system.
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