Opinion

‘Hero’ label for CEO killer reveals health care system outrage

December 11, 2024

Adrienne Lawrence (Opinion Contributor)

Support for the UnitedHealthcare killer highlights a deeper truth about the U.S. health care system: It prioritizes profits over people. — Image credit: Getty Images

All opinions expressed in this article are solely the opinions of the contributors.

The fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson has captured national attention, not only due to the brazen nature of the act, but also because of the celebratory reactions from those frustrated with the health insurance industry. The alleged killer, 26-year-old Luigi Mangioni, was found with a three-page manifesto suggesting he viewed the act as a protest against what he described as the health care industry’s “corruption and greed.” Americans pay more for health care than any other country, and UnitedHealthcare is the largest manager of health benefits, dismissing about 1 in every 3 claims — the most of any major insurer.

Watch the above video as Straight Arrow News contributor Adrienne Lawrence argues that while violence is rarely ever justified, the support for the killer underscores a deeper truth. Lawrence contends that Americans are furious with a health care system that too often “treats them as profit margins rather than actual people.”

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The following is an excerpt from the above video:

Behind every stat is a story: a mother forced to choose between chemotherapy and rent; the child denied a wheelchair because of insufficient medical necessity; the elderly couple drowning in debt because one had a stroke. These are not isolated tragedies. They are systemic failures. As Americans, we must demand better.

Call your representatives. Push for policies that bring accountability to the insurance industry. Join movements advocating for universal health care. We can no longer afford to let the system exploit our lives and our wallets. A better health care system is not a pipe dream, it’s a necessity. If we fail to act, we risk not only the health of our nation, but also the very fabric of our society.

The path forward starts with reclaiming health care as a public good. Now, while I cannot promise that this approach will protect CEOs from violence, I can assure you that it would give them less cause to fear.

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All opinions expressed in this article are solely the opinions of the contributors.

The fatal shooting of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson last week captured national attention, not only because of the brazen nature of the act itself, but also because of the wild public reaction. Now, while violence is rarely ever justified, the online schodenford, the dark humor, the anger, the frustration it all underscores a deeper truth, Americans are furious with a health care system that too often treats them as profit margins rather than actual people and the numbers they do not lie. Over 100 million Americans are in medical debt, many because of astronomical deductibles and denied claims. According to a Kaiser Family Foundation report, 41% of working age adults have skipped medical care due to cost, and over 60% of all personal bankruptcies in the US while they’re tired to medical bills. These are not isolated incidents. They are a collective cry for help from a system that prioritizes shareholder returns over patient care, although we don’t necessarily have confirmation yet of the motive. Brian Thompson’s death is a sobering moment, but the response well, it points to a far reaching irony. Well, corporations like meta spend upwards of 24 million annually on personal security for their CEOs and executives. Millions of Americans are well. They’re fighting insurance companies over life saving treatments. Thompson himself led a division with 281 billion in revenue last year. Yet one in six claims in the US were unjustly denied. According to the American Medical Association, these denials often come with devastating consequences for individuals. I’m talking about delayed care, worsening illnesses, and in some cases, even premature death. This is hyper capitalism at its worst, when profits are prioritized above all else. Trust breaks down, and we, the people, are not blind to this imbalance. We see the multi million dollar compensation packages, these sprawling executive retreats, the stock buybacks, and we also see families crowdfunding medical expenses on GoFundMe. It’s no wonder anger has reached a boiling point. Yet rather than addressing this anger with meaningful reform, well, companies seem to be doubling down in the wake of Thompson shooting, some corporations responded by scrambling to scrub executive photos and biographies from websites as if Invisibility is the solution, and others rushed to hire more private security. But here’s the truth, a $250,000

a year security detail will not fix the rot of our health care system. What will reform? Reform that puts patients first, reform that reins in the $1 trillion spent annually on administrative health care costs more than any other nation. Reform that bans the practice of denying care for profit, Medicare for all, for example. That’s one solution, but even incremental steps like stronger regulations on insurance claims and caps on out of pocket cost, well, those things could be transformative, and let’s not forget the human side of this crisis. Behind every stat is a story a mother forced to choose between chemotherapy and rent, the child denied a wheelchair because of insufficient medical necessity, the elderly couple drowning in debt because one had a stroke. These are not isolated tragedies. They are systemic failures as Americans, we must demand better. Call our representatives push for policies that bring accountability to the insurance industry, join movements advocating for universal health care. We can no longer afford to let the system exploit our lives and our wallets a better health care system is not a pipe dream. It’s a necessity. If we fail to act, we risk not only the health of our nation, but also the very fabric of our society. The path forward starts with reclaiming health care as a public good. Now, while I cannot promise that this approach will protect CEOs from violence, I can assure you that it would give them less cause to fear.

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