--- title: "Americans Point Out That UnitedHealthcare Tried to Kill Them First" description: "The killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson sparked a fiery debate over the widespread hatred of the US health insurance system." date: "2024-12-13" modified: "2024-12-13" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/neoscope/americans-unitedhealthcare-tried-kill-first" categories: - "Developments" - "Health & Medicine" tags: - "brian thompson" - "health insurance" - "unitedhealth" --- # Americans Point Out That UnitedHealthcare Tried to Kill Them First ![The killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson sparked a fiery debate over the widespread hatred of the US health insurance system.]() *\Image: Getty / Futurism\* The killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson last week has [sparked a fiery debate]() over what's clearly a widespread hatred of the health insurance system in the United States. From skyrocketing bills to repeatedly being denied coverage, Americans have long struggled to get the care they need to survive. As [*CNN* reports](), the experience of being sick and not being able to afford care in the US can be truly harrowing. More than 200 readers wrote to *CNN* since Thompson's killing eight days ago, recounting horror stories from long before the health insurance executive was fatally shot in front of a midtown Manhattan hotel last week — and showing that Americans have been suffering and dying at the hands of an unjust and greedy insurance system operating in one of the wealthiest countries in the world. *CNN* tells the story of 26-year-old Arete Tsoukalas, who was diagnosed with leukemia but denied a drug she needed, leaving her with a massive $13,000 monthly copay. As a result, she was forced to go off the drug for three months since she couldn't afford to cover her bills until she could finally secure funding through the drug maker's assistance program. Tsoukalas had some strong words for a system that had failed her when she needed it the most. "No one should have to be fighting cancer and insurance at the same time," she told *CNN*. "It’s such a cruel system. We live in a country where people are truly kicked down when they are at their weakest and most vulnerable, both physically and emotionally." It's an extremely common problem in the US, with the majority of insured adults having at least one health insurance problem, according to a [June 2023 survey]() by nonprofit health policy group KFF. And that's just the insured. While the number of uninsured Americans dropped by 5.6 million between 2019 and 2022, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a [stunning 26 million people]() in the country remained uninsured in 2023. Without coverage, the costs of healthcare can be staggering. According to a [January report by RAND Health Care](), US prescription drug prices were nearly 2.78 higher than in other comparison countries and 3.22 times as high for brand-name drugs. UnitedHealthcare, the largest health insurer in the US, has the [highest claim denial rate]() among insurance companies, putting it squarely in the middle of the ongoing debate following Thompson's killing. In many ways, whether or not his accused killer, 26-year-old Luigi Mangione, [should be made a martyr]() or not is beside the point. Americans are suffering at the hands of a wildly inadequate insurance system, that puts profits first even when lives are at stake — and they're clearly demanding change. **More on the killing:** *[Luigi Mangione's Notebook Details Plan to "Wack the CEO at the Annual Parasitic Bean-Counter Convention"]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()