The investigation concerning a shooter who targeted and fatally struck the leading figure of UnitedHealthcare, Brian Thompson, in the bustle of midtown Manhattan on a Wednesday dawn, is ongoing from the New York City police department. The evening news on Thursday disclosed the likelihood of authorities nearing the identification of the hostile individual, whose actions of discharging multiple rounds from a 9mm firearm at Thompson were documented on CCTV footage while Thompson was approaching a hotel for an investment conference.
The enforcers have circulated various additional images and videos of the alleged attacker — some of which unveiled his previously disguised face, acquired from several surveillance devices pointing towards his pre and post-assault activities being compiled meticulously by the investigators. The investigative team has ascertained that the executioner lodged into a guesthouse utilizing an unlawfully acquired New Jersey driving license.
After carrying out the deadly assault against Thompson, the perpetrator was monitored on a CCTV camera as he escaped northward into Central Park via an electric bicycle. Further footage exposed the suspect cycling westward out of Central Park via 85th Street, but beyond this point, there has been no fresh intel regarding the location or actions of the suspect.
Forensics lifted from the murder scene included shell casings and spent rounds, each marked with the words – ‘deny’, ‘defend’, and ‘depose’ through a Sharpie pen. Initially, these markings were reported to resemble the phrase ‘delay, deny, defend’ – a saying used by lawyers to illustrate the tactics employed by insurance firms to evade payments and services. This phrase also stands as the title of a book published in 2010, critically scrutinising the practices of the insurance industry.
In the wake of his demise, more insights regarding Brian Thompson and his position within UnitedHealthcare have been brought forward. UnitedHealthcare, a subsidiary of the UnitedHealth Group, which was under Thompson’s stewardship, reported a total revenue of $281 billion in the previous fiscal year.
Brian Thompson had taken the helm of UnitedHealthcare in 2021, under whose leadership the health insurance juggernaut witnessed a substantial hike in its profitability. As per one report, following his tenure, the company saw striking growth in a crucial segment of its business, private insurance schemes under Medicare Advantage, a federally funded program intended primarily for citizens aged 65 or older. Currently, this program accommodates approximately half of the 61 million enrollees.
UnitedHealthcare has come under scrutiny for its algorithmic approach towards insurance claims denial. A report released on Thursday stated that UnitedHealthcare tipped the scales with the highest claim rejection rate, allegedly declining around one-third of all claims presented.
A public opinion sweep of ‘Brian Thompson’ uncorks a deluge of unsympathetic responses and condemnations reflecting not only on Thompson but also UnitedHealthcare and the broader corporate health insurance industry. To illustrate the sentiment, a comment exclaimed, ‘Today, we mourn not only for United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson but also for the multitude of Americans who perish needlessly every year so that insurance moguls like Brian Thompson can amass monumental fortunes.’
Another post from an emergency room nurse demonstrates the deep resentment stemming from first-hand experiences, ‘The denial of necessary treatments for dying patients by insurance companies has made me physically ill on countless occasions. My sympathy is reserved for those patients and their families, not him.’
The public’s widespread repugnance towards Brian Thompson’s death reveals the collective disdain towards the corporations and financial leaders that steer the health insurance and healthcare industries. The business tactics of UnitedHealth Group have filled the pockets of corporate executives and Wall Street investors with billions, while denying people of critical and life-preserving treatments and services.
The ongoing healthcare predicament faced by scores of individuals can only find resolution by dismantling the current capitalistic model. This calls for erecting a potent socialist movement aiming to establish a government led by workers. Such a government would uphold a healthcare system that prioritizes the wellbeing of people over profit.