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UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson assassinated
- Thread starter EviLore
- Start date
DragoonKain
Neighbours from Hell
I'm not going to pretend I know exactly what Brian Thompson did at this company, or why the denials are made.. But in the string of decision makers, I'm sure there was some greed along the way. A lot of people are greedy. It doesn't make them bad people. And it doesn't excuse murder. Some people equate denying coverage with someone lying bleeding to death on the side of the road and people just ignoring it and walking by. It's not quite the same thing. There are multiple entities involved in high healthcare costs. Notice how far few people blame the hospitals charging these insane prices for care and only the healthcare industries for not covering it? The system incentivizes profit. The hospitals, the insurance companies, the pharma companies all have a share of the blame.
I'm not going to hold hate or animosity for a man, who for all I know could be the nicest guy in the world, just because he is CEO of a company that prioritizes profit, in a country that incentivizes profit in said industry.
This "I am happy or indifferent to murder when people do things I don't like" attitude people have these days is a really dark road to go down and I don't think we want to go down that road. I know where it leads. I want a society that respects human life. All of it. Well, almost all of it. I'm not holding a candle for Ted Bundy.
Kraz
Member
We are real lead slingers
We've got golden fingers
and we're loved everywhere we go
Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.
8bitpill
Member
We are real lead slingers
We've got golden fingers
and we're loved everywhere we go
Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.
arkhamguy123
Banned
You just linked a tweet of him giving them the slip and muddying the trace further and you follow it up with “he’s not gonna make it”?
Unknown Soldier
Member
Figuring out where he was before isn't going to help them find him now...
Yes.
SidViscous
Member
Sure, his job was to make money by being as unethical as possible without breaking the law, but I'm sure outside of work he was a swell dude.
Okay, just found out he was also being investigated for 15m dollars of insider trading, but I'm sure when he's not at work, and not doing insider trading he's a swell guy.
DragoonKain
Neighbours from Hell
I have no idea what type of person he was. None of us know him. As far as I’m concerned it doesn’t much matter. This is a thread about his murder not whether or not we approve of him dating our daughters or being elected President. Someone shouldn’t have to be mother Theresa for their murder to be considered an awful thing.
arkhamguy123
Banned
You see the contradiction?
12Goblins
Lil’ Gobbie
brother, can u tell me 1 way u can have sex without spreading ur DNA?
Not a contradiction. They have clear shots of his face and access to DNA from the hostel he stayed in.
Pegasus Actual
Member
Never fails, always a woman that's your downfall
12Goblins
Lil’ Gobbie
^dam man, this guy is turning out to be quite the hero... irl james bond xD
www.yahoo.com
90% error rate. insane
Murdered Insurance CEO Had Deployed an AI to Automatically Deny Benefits for Sick People
Just over a year before United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson was murdered in cold blood in Midtown Manhattan, a lawsuit filed against his firm revealed just how draconian its claims-denying had become. Last November, the estates of two former UHC patients filed suit in Minnesota alleging that...
Mr Reasonable
Completely Unreasonable
arkhamguy123
Banned
What are they gonna do? Put it in the batcomputer and find this son of a bitch? A finger print is useless unless there’s a finger print in the system. “Oh a hair follicle! It’s Henry Smith at 6th and 7th street!” Cmon man.
By the way they still don’t know if that is in fact, the guy
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arkhamguy123
Banned
I don’t uhh… see the relation?
A hostel....FILLED with semi-vagrant youth, any one of which could have brushed against this guy in a public space and gotten a strand of his hair on them and then left it at the hostel. Any half decent lawyer can get that evidence tossed out of court. All it will do is help rule in/out someone they actually catch, not convict them, unless it's a semen sample from the flirty counter girl.
He looks pretty distinctive, I'm sure there are several dozen tips already. If that specific guy is actually innocent, he's probably already lawyered up.
Pegasus Actual
Member
Dude's cooked unless he's a uhhh... state actor. No lawyer is going to get shit thrown out by the way... the court will be very very hostile to the defense. Dare I say far more hostile to the defense than if it were you or me that were murdered for reasons I just can't quite quantify.
chromhound
Member
DeafTourette
Perpetually Offended
TransTrender
Gold Member
Personally I'm getting young James Franco vibes.
FunkMiller
Member
Irrespective of the moral questions around this assassination, from reading up a bit about UnitedHealthCare it seems this guy was a massive piece of shit, the company he ran was a ghoulish outfit that happily saw people die, and - oh my fucking god America - your healthcare system is so absolutely fucked in every single respect, it’s a wonder any of you are still alive.
Lukaku's First Touch
Member
After reading up more about this guy and his company, I'm surprised he wasn't murdered sooner. What a complete piece of shit and a garbage company this asshole runs. The world is a better place without him and hopefully the next CEO of this company takes a lesson from this.
The letters and shit I've seen posted on the internet about denying people healthcare, like denying wheelchairs for kids etc... fuck that guy.
I think there is a real possibility of copy cats from this, seeing as a major part of the population is cheering for the killer.
The letters and shit I've seen posted on the internet about denying people healthcare, like denying wheelchairs for kids etc... fuck that guy.
I think there is a real possibility of copy cats from this, seeing as a major part of the population is cheering for the killer.
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GnomeChimpsky
Member
It's pretty wild this guy didn't have a bodyguard, especially at an event like this where it's public information he'd be there.
Lunarorbit
Member
This ceo dealt out death like there was no tomorrow for increased profits. I have zero sympathy for him or his family.
MMaRsu
Member
^dam man, this guy is turning out to be quite the hero... irl james bond xD
90% error rate. insaneMurdered Insurance CEO Had Deployed an AI to Automatically Deny Benefits for Sick People
Just over a year before United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson was murdered in cold blood in Midtown Manhattan, a lawsuit filed against his firm revealed just how draconian its claims-denying had become. Last November, the estates of two former UHC patients filed suit in Minnesota alleging that...
Yeah what a hero, killing innocent men
Regardless of the CEO's job in question. How could you celebrate his death like this? The fuck is wrong with people?
Lukaku's First Touch
Member
He isn't innocent. He was pretty much a murderer himself with how his company acts.
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I don’t disagree that Unitedhealthcare seems to be an egregiously terrible company that contributed to suffering on a wide scale, largely avoidably so, after having done some research.
If we abandon rule of law, though, we lose civilization. I would prefer sweeping health care reform over murder in the streets. Especially when a mob of emotionally volatile people can be convinced of virtually anything trivially, e.g., someone being an irredeemable piece of shit who deserves to die, regardless of the truth.
This time maybe you can consider it justifiable, but what about next time? Everyone with sufficient money and power will remain siloed from the rest of society, chaperoned by bodyguards, even more so than they already are. Let’s not turn ourselves into a failed state.
If we abandon rule of law, though, we lose civilization. I would prefer sweeping health care reform over murder in the streets. Especially when a mob of emotionally volatile people can be convinced of virtually anything trivially, e.g., someone being an irredeemable piece of shit who deserves to die, regardless of the truth.
This time maybe you can consider it justifiable, but what about next time? Everyone with sufficient money and power will remain siloed from the rest of society, chaperoned by bodyguards, even more so than they already are. Let’s not turn ourselves into a failed state.
Cyberpunkd
Member
Quality of care is rubbish and unexpected disease will bankrupt you. C'mon man, just do some homework. I did 5-month chemo + radiotherapy of absolutely no fault of mine (my cancer was not linked at all to my lifestyle), I paid exactly ZERO for a series of treatments. US healthcare is social darwinism (where the fittest have money) in practice.
Basically this.
So if I get this right for 500k bill you will first pay $1200 from your pocket then you will pay $49 880 (500 000 - 1200, take 10%) in addition?
You know how much I will pay for treatment that costs this much? 0€.
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Go_Ly_Dow
Member
This. I can't believe this goes over the head of some people in this thread too.
Some of these insurance companies are absolute scum in their practices and I'm sure there are dozens, possible hundreds of heartless bastards who should be facing trial and jail.
But some vigilante justice isn't going to change jack, not when there's astromical sums of money at play here, probably figures larger than a lot of other countries total GDP. (big pharma, healthcare spending, insurance etc...)
You're better off demanding change through Government pressure, as the state of healthcare is an issue that can unify all factions, from far left, to far right even and those in the middle.
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kruis
Exposing the sinister cartel of retailers who allow companies to pay for advertising space.
Moderators Delete Reddit Thread as Doctors Torch Dead UnitedHealthcare CEO
Doctors in one of the Internet’s top medical communities have turned on the murdered UnitedHealthcare (UHC) CEO Brian Thompson in such brutal fashion that Reddit moderators deleted a thread on the killing. The moderators of r/medicine closed the thread, posted Wednesday after news broke that...
Doctors in one of the Internet’s top medical communities have turned on the murdered UnitedHealthcare (UHC) CEO Brian Thompson in such brutal fashion that Reddit moderators deleted a thread on the killing.
The moderators of r/medicine closed the thread, posted Wednesday after news broke that Thompson was shot dead outside the New York Hilton hotel in Midtown Manhattan, after it racked up over 500 replies.
The commenters overwhelmingly criticized—and satirized—the insurer’s alleged denial of coverage to sick and dying Americans in order to juice profits.
The top comment, which received hundreds of supporting upvotes from other users, mocked UHC’s notorious track record for refusing to pay out insurance claims and is written as a lengthy, spoof rejection letter from the company.
Addressed to an unnamed applicant—following “a careful review of the claim submitted for emergency services on December 4, 2024″—it informs them they are being rejected for coverage because “you failed to obtain prior authorization before seeking care for the gunshot wound to your chest.”
“If you would like to appeal the fatal gunshot, please call 1-800-555-1234 with case # 123456789P to initiate a peer to peer within 48 hours of the fatal gun shot,” wrote one user.
Another paraphrased the early 20th Century trade union lawyer Clarence Darrow: ″I’ve never wished a man dead, but I have read some obituaries with great pleasure."
Dozens and dozens more expressed similar sentiment.
That original thread may have been deleted but criticism of Thompson on Reddit has not died down. Roughly 16 hours after the deleted post was made in r/medicine, another user made a separate post soliciting thoughts on the murder. It has remained up.
As with the previous thread, some comments contain humor or outrage expressed at UHC.
But others—including from doctors and medical professionals—offer incisive and unsparing critiques of Thompson’s business practices.
One medical doctor, whose identity the Daily Beast confirmed, commented with sympathy for Thompson’s family and said the killer should be charged with murder, but then wondered about the damage the CEO had done.
“I cannot even guess how many person-years UHC has taken from patients and their families through denials,” they wrote. “It has to be on the order of millions. His death won’t make that better, but it’s hard for me to sympathize when so many people have suffered because of his company.”
“What has bothered me the most is people that put «fiduciary responsibility» (eg profits) above human lives, none more so than this company as run by him," wrote another medical doctor, who also spoke to the Daily Beast to confirm their identity. “When other’s human lives are deemed worthless, it is not surprising to have others view your life of no value as well.”
The moderators of the subreddit told the Daily Beast, in a message, that they removed the original post “because it was unproductive, a time suck for the mods, without a good source, being brigaded, arguably against Reddit’s [terms of service] and [featured] too many inappropriate comments.”
The site’s communities are moderated by teams of volunteers.
“It wasn’t because of criticism of business practices,” the statement added. “We criticize insurance business practices frequently here.”
Under Thompson’s leadership, UHC faced intense criticism for being one of America’s most ruthlessly profit-minded moneymaking healthcare firms.
According to research by ValuePenguin citing in-network claim data, it “is the worst insurance company for paying claims with about one-third of claims denied.”
In September, a Senate report excoriated UHC and two other large insurers, Humana and CVS, for allegedly denying patients access to post-acute care in order to increase profits.
UHC is a subsidiary of UnitedHealth Group, the country’s largest healthcare conglomerate, which made $371 billion in revenue last year, when Thompson’s compensation was $10 million.
Police have yet to attribute a motive to the masked killer who shot Thompson outside an investor meeting in what NYPD commissioner Jessica Tisch said was likely a “premeditated, preplanned, targeted attack.”
Law enforcement officials found the words “deny,” “defend” and “depose” on shell casings recovered from the crime scene and are reportedly examining whether they can be connected to a motive involving insurance companies.
FullMetalx117
Member
It’s a reminder for corporations and wealthy people that they still carry a public contract. They carry their positions because the masses allow them to.
In the end, the few at the top don’t stand a chance against the masses…their biggest fear.
In the end, the few at the top don’t stand a chance against the masses…their biggest fear.
Melon Husk
Member
There are ~400 murders in NYC alone every year. A third of cases go cold. Fascinating statistics. https://projectcoldcase.org/cold-case-homicide-stats/
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BlackTron
Member
Same people celebrating violence in other parts of the world, calling for anarchy like it's trendy, "burn it all down", eat the rich, etc. It reminds me of thinking not having police is a good thing. Maybe the system needs fixing, but it's way better than just removing it.
E-Cat
Member
It’s not okay, but it seems like people don’t consider the systemic and essentially ”lawful” murder of thousands through denied claims immoral in the same way because it’s ”part of the system” and there’s presumably nothing you can do about it. And because it’s not so personal.
But those who understand the American healthcare system is immoral can certainly see the reasoning behind it, how someone could be driven to that point by a price-gouging, death sentence dealing mafia middleman.
Frankly, I’m surprised this doesn’t happen more often. I guess the term ”medical bankruptcy” is just so normalized in American society that people don’t see anything wrong with it.
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Mr Reasonable
Completely Unreasonable
There are some interesting "who's the bigger criminal?" Debates to be had, but I guess you could say that when the deck is stacked in favour of the corporations as much as they are, people aren't left with any form of pushback that is acceptable when a corporation doesn't hold up their end of the bargain.
After pleading with customer services, You could challenge a corporation in court, of course. You could spend a decade having their lawyers slowly bankrupt you (or quickly if you aren't wealthy or have assets you can risk/sell) through protracted legal wrangling. In the case of trying to force a healthcare company to deliver the service you think is appropriate, you might not have a decade. You might not have 6 months. Outcomes could be worsening daily.
At the point where people have paid into an insurance plan for decades and then need to use it, if the insurance company says they won't support you then you might be in a position where the timescales make it impossible for you to fight back legally and get justice, even if you have the resources and know well enough how the system works. Even if you're 100% right, by the time your case progresses to a hearing you could have been in the grave for a while.
So, if a malfunctioning AI, directly or indirectly approved by a CEO condemns you or a family member to an unnecessary death, what then? Just roll over and take it?
If a CEO had stolen a car outside a bar, I wonder if people would be more accepting of a shooting arising from that than if they'd stolen someone's life by refusing to give them medical care.
I'm not advocating for either shooting CEOs or car thieves, but there's something to be considered in how we view the actions and responses to actions of individuals and those of corporations.
After pleading with customer services, You could challenge a corporation in court, of course. You could spend a decade having their lawyers slowly bankrupt you (or quickly if you aren't wealthy or have assets you can risk/sell) through protracted legal wrangling. In the case of trying to force a healthcare company to deliver the service you think is appropriate, you might not have a decade. You might not have 6 months. Outcomes could be worsening daily.
At the point where people have paid into an insurance plan for decades and then need to use it, if the insurance company says they won't support you then you might be in a position where the timescales make it impossible for you to fight back legally and get justice, even if you have the resources and know well enough how the system works. Even if you're 100% right, by the time your case progresses to a hearing you could have been in the grave for a while.
So, if a malfunctioning AI, directly or indirectly approved by a CEO condemns you or a family member to an unnecessary death, what then? Just roll over and take it?
If a CEO had stolen a car outside a bar, I wonder if people would be more accepting of a shooting arising from that than if they'd stolen someone's life by refusing to give them medical care.
I'm not advocating for either shooting CEOs or car thieves, but there's something to be considered in how we view the actions and responses to actions of individuals and those of corporations.
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Cyberpunkd
Member
What else is the media gonna do? Need to keep you hooked with juicy updates!
And of course now we get all the claim denials dirt coming out. Truly an "extraordinary person, loving husband and father".
Trilobit
Member
This would make a great anime.
"I Assassinated a CEO but a Girl Smiled at Me So I Showed My Face to a Camera and Now We Are Running Away Together"
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