In the aftermath of the killing of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson, while Thompson’s colleagues grieve and politicians condemn his killing, some online discussions are focused on the man and the industry he represents. Little sympathy is shown.
Instead, social media is filled with expressions of anger at the terrible experiences many Americans have had at the hands of health insurance companies, and at the huge profits they generate.
It is hard to believe the shock caused by Thompson’s brutal death. The killing appears to have been planned and calculated.
Police said a gunman dressed in black waited for Thompson outside the Midtown Manhattan Hilton, where he was scheduled to speak at an investor conference, approached him from behind with a silenced pistol and fatally shot the executive. .
He fled to Central Park on an electric bicycle. An investigation is underway. The motive is unknown.
Andrew Whitty, chief executive of parent company UnitedHealth Group, called the attack a “terrible tragedy” in a message sent to company employees and shared with the Guardian.
“Our hearts are with his family, especially his mother, wife Paulie, brother and two sons who lost their father today,” Mr Whitty said.
Democratic U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota called the killing “a horrific and shocking act of violence.”
But in contrast, one commenter on CNN’s Instagram post about Thompson’s death wrote: “I can’t find the space to care about my daughter’s $60,000 cancer treatment. Thoughts and prayers.”
Another said: “An innocent victim was shot in cold blood. Regardless of health insurance, have a heart.”
Social media comments, which oscillate between condemnation of violence and dark humor, celebratory memes and overtly violent rhetoric, highlight the deep and often unpleasant relationship Americans have with their nation’s health care system.
Experts on political violence told the Guardian that they saw this as part of the United States’ growing acceptance of violence as a way to resolve civil wars.
“The norm of violence is now spreading into the commercial sector,” said Robert Pape, director of the Security and Threats Project at the University of Chicago. “That’s what I thought when I saw this.”
The motive for the killing is unknown, but speculation persists that Thompson may have been an obvious candidate because he worked for a corporate health insurance company. That speculation was further deepened by the discovery of shell casings with the words “denial,” “resignation,” and “defense” scrawled in permanent marker.
“I think what we’re really experiencing as a country is an erosion of norms,” Pape said, adding another layer of sympathy among “body politicians” expressed on social media. I gave this as an example. “It basically means viewing violence as a more normal or acceptable means of resolving direct civil disputes that should be resolved nonviolently.”
Thompson’s killing also exposed the threats faced by health care workers, from insurance companies to pharmaceutical companies to hospitals, during a season of violence in the United States.
Michael Sherman, former chief medical officer at Point32 Health, said, “People who are denied access to services they believe are important may be in an emotionally unstable state and may take action.” I don’t think it’s paranoia to be worried,” he told health agency Stat. Industry publications. “The most likely target would be the chief medical officer or CEO.”
Online comments did not name Thompson, a 50-year-old certified public accountant who is said to have kept a low profile. Instead, they targeted an industry that is often seen as a despised reality in the United States. The comments are laced with scathing “jokes” about denials, delays, debt, and incomprehensible bureaucracy, all of which come from people who are currently insured through a private company or who have previously been insured. It is a ubiquitous and stigmatizing experience for many Americans who lived in the United States.
Another commented: “Does he have a history of shootings?” Refused to be interviewed. ”
Ranked by size, UnitedHealth Group is one of the largest companies in the world. Measured by market capitalization of $539 billion, it surpasses big-name companies like Mastercard and ExxonMobil. The company is one of the nation’s largest private insurance companies, providing health coverage to more than 50 million Americans, from employer-based insurance to seniors, through Medicare Advantage.
Mr. Thompson reportedly led the company’s insurance division as a long-time low-profile employee. This product, with its enormous influence, is also the subject of near-constant surveillance.
Mr. Thompson himself was involved in an investigation into insider trading at the company. After the Justice Department launched an investigation into monopoly practices earlier this year, United Airlines executives, including Mr. Thompson, sold $101 million in stock before the investigation became public knowledge, according to Crain’s New York Business. It is said that it was sold. In February, Mr. Whitty was brought in to testify before Congress regarding a cyber attack that caused severe disruption across the healthcare industry. UnitedHealthcare has been criticized for denying care to vulnerable patients.
Security executives from major Fortune 500 companies gathered Wednesday, while others publicly expressed surprise that Thompson was unaccompanied on his way to the annual investor conference. did.
“We were shocked that this man didn’t have protection details,” Michael Julian, CEO of MPS Security & Protection, told Axios, adding that the head of a major U.S. health care company was a potential He hinted that he would be an obvious target for those who would be harmed by the attack.
“Whether or not this technically falls into the pigeonhole of political violence is obviously going to be an important question,” said Pape, whose recent research shows that since about 2017, violence against both Democrats and Republicans has increased. It was shown that cases of criminal intimidation have increased dramatically. President Trump’s first term.
“But it also misses the bigger picture of what’s going on in our country.”
