--- title: "People’s Reactions to a Health Insurance CEO Getting Assassinated Are Incredibly Dark" description: "The web's indifference to UnitedHealth CEO Brian Thompson's passing are illustrative of America's profoundly dysfunctional medical system." date: "2024-12-04" modified: "2024-12-04" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/neoscope/reactions-health-insurance-ceo" categories: - "Developments" - "Health & Medicine" tags: - "health insurance" - "healthcare" - "united states" --- # People’s Reactions to a Health Insurance CEO Getting Assassinated Are Incredibly Dark ![The web's indifference to UnitedHealth CEO Brian Thompson's passing are illustrative of America's profoundly dysfunctional medical system.]() *\Image: BRYAN R. SMITH/AFP via Getty Images\* UnitedHealth Group CEO Brian Thompson was fatally shot outside of a Hilton hotel in midtown Manhattan earlier this morning, in what the New York Police Department is calling a "brazen, targeted attack." "I want to be clear at this time, every indication is that this was a premeditated, preplanned, targeted attack," Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch told reporters, as [quoted by ]()*[CNBC]().* Let's be clear: any act of violence or loss of life is a tragedy. But the internet's indifference to Thompson's passing — and gallows humor about the notorious deficiencies of the private insurance industry — are simultaneously ghoulish and illustrative of America's profoundly dysfunctional medical system. "All human life is sacred, so it's not proper to laugh when serious harm befalls someone," one Bluesky user [wrote](). "The moral thing to do is instead charge them hundreds of thousands of dollars." "Our apologies, but bullet wounds are only covered under our platinum+ package," another user [added](). The reactions highlight widespread disillusionment and anger over a woefully inadequate health insurance system in the United States that has [preyed on the unemployed and uninsured]() for decades, leading to a [endless death](), bankruptcy and suffering. Skyrocketing medical costs have forced a [huge chunk of the population]() to delay getting medical help. People have astonishingly little trust in the US healthcare system, going as far as to [voluntarily upload their medical scans]() to Elon Musk's potty-mouthed Grok AI for what are likely untrustworthy answers. UnitedHealth's role shouldn't be underestimated. The group is [one of the largest]() health insurance companies in the world in terms of revenue, and the [eighth largest corporation]() by market capitalization. In short, seeing the CEO of a notorious health insurance company — which is currently facing a class action lawsuit for [using an algorithm to deny rehabilitation care]() to seriously ill patients — meet a violent end doesn't seem to have caused an outpouring of mourning. "Thank you for choosing UnitedHealthcare for your healthcare needs," one Reddit user wrote in a [facetious post](), imitating the style of a letter from a health insurer denying coverage. "After a careful review of the claim submitted for emergency services on December 4, 2024, we regret to inform you that your request for coverage has been denied." "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 gunshot," another Reddit user [wrote](). Besides its reputation for denying health coverage, UnitedHealth has been embroiled in a number of controversies lately. In March, the insurer was [hit with at least *six* separate class action lawsuits](), accusing it of failing to protect millions from a [massive personal data breach]() in February. The hack, kickstarted by a week-long ransomware outage, left countless healthcare providers in the cold, forcing hospitals to absorb massive upfront costs. In June, UnitedHealth shareholders filed a separate class action lawsuit against the company, alleging that they had [bought stock at artificially inflated prices]() between March 2022 and February 2024. The company also [faces an antitrust class action lawsuit]() relating to its failure to establish boundaries between its own two complementary businesses, Optum and UnitedHealthcare. In fact, Thompson was rushed to a hospital in New York City's Mount Sinai network — a medical system that UnitedHealth [removed from its network last year](), to the chagrin of patients who relied on its care. Needless to say, there could be any number of reasons why the killer could have targeted Thompson. While the exact motive remains unknown, it's certainly possible the killer was looking for revenge. "Yes, there had been some threats basically I don’t know, a lack of coverage? I don’t know details," Thompson's wife [told *NBC News*](). "I just know that he said there were some people that had been threatening him." UnitedHealth is set to [bring in $280 billion]() in revenue this year. Shares are up around half a percent as of the time of writing. According to the US government, [just over 27 million Americans]() currently lack health insurance. **More on health insurance:** *[Experts Alarmed by People Uploading Their Medical Scans to Elon Musk's Grok AI]()* ## 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]()