The killing of a healthcare executive on the streets of New York City has prompted a uniquely American response: some people are celebrating his murder because of his role in the country's broken healthcare system.
Brian Thompson, the chief executive of UnitedHealthcare, was slain execution-style on Wednesday as he headed into a hotel hosting the private health insurance company's annual investor conference. A masked assailant used a silenced handgun to shoot the 50-year-old businessman then rode off on one of the city's public bikes.
Within hours of his death, thousands of people had piled on to social media or into newspaper comment sections to react with macabre glee or to celebrate the shooter as some sort of vigilante hero. The reason? America's healthcare system is fundamentally flawed because it often seeks to maximise profits by denying patients coverage, or by overcharging them for any reason it can muster.
The US pays nearly twice as much for health care as other wealthy nations, but its outcomes are often far worse
“For once in my life, I actually agree with a vigilante and have absolutely nothing I disagree with. If you are responsible for creating a system that gets people killed … People will try to kill you right back,” one user wrote on X.
A commenter on The Washington Post said: “I don’t condone it but I understand it. Anyone who sees their claim denied and has to face bankruptcy or cessation of treatment while the CEO of their insurance company travels on a private jet is going to have some rage. People with easy access to guns and rage will often do terrible things.”
“He died doing what he loved, not getting medical care in time,” another user posted on social media.
The disturbing sentiments underscore the fury many Americans feel about the country's healthcare system, and the indifference to a murder is a worrying symptom of an increasingly fractured and unequal society.
On Thursday, new clues emerged suggesting the killer held a grudge against the private healthcare industry. The words “deny,” “defend” and “depose” were found written in permanent marker on 9mm ammunition dropped at the crime scene, sources told the AP.
The words are a possible reference to an investigative 2010 book critical of the insurance industry, Delay Deny Defend: Why Insurance Companies Don't Pay Claims and What You can Do About it by Jay Feinman.
America is alone among industrialised nations in refusing to guarantee its entire population at least some level of healthcare coverage. Government-subsidised insurance is available for the very poor, for older people and for veterans. But the vast majority of people must navigate a confusing and opaque system that expects Americans to pay hundreds or thousands of dollars each month for coverage that often only covers the basics.
The US pays nearly twice as much for health care as other wealthy nations, but its outcomes are often far worse. In 2022, per capita health spending in the US was $12,555. In France it was nearly half that amount. Yet life expectancy in the US is 77.5 years, compared to 82.2 in France.
Most of the extra money Americans are paying for health care goes to administrators, middle men and billing agents who spend countless hours hounding patients for additional payments for services rejected by insurers like UnitedHealthcare. Medical bills are the most common cause of bankruptcy in the US and people often have to deal with an endless stream of payment demands when they are at their most vulnerable.
UnitedHealthcare provides coverage to more than 49 million Americans and raked in more than $281 billion in revenue last year. But a Senate panel has been investigating how often UnitedHealthcare and other insurers deny care to patients, and the extent to which they use artificial intelligence in help speed up those denials.
Mr Thompson's murder has brought the anger many Americans feel about the healthcare system to the fore, but it is the system that needs changing. Chief executives are always going to work to maximise profits for their companies, so blaming one man for a deeply entrenched system that fails millions of people is misguided.
Change needs to come from Congress and the White House, but don't expect meaningful fixes any time soon. President-elect Donald Trump recently admitted he only has “concepts” of a plan to address the costs of health care.
Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
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- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
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- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
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The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
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The specs
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Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 390bhp
Torque: 400Nm
Price: Dh340,000 ($92,579
SPECS
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Tips to stay safe during hot weather
- Stay hydrated: Drink plenty of fluids, especially water. Avoid alcohol and caffeine, which can increase dehydration.
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Reading List
Practitioners of mindful eating recommend the following books to get you started:
Savor: Mindful Eating, Mindful Life by Thich Nhat Hanh and Dr Lilian Cheung
How to Eat by Thich Nhat Hanh
The Mindful Diet by Dr Ruth Wolever
Mindful Eating by Dr Jan Bays
How to Raise a Mindful Eaterby Maryann Jacobsen
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
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The specs: 2017 GMC Sierra 1500 Denali
Price, base / as tested Dh207,846 / Dh220,000
Engine 6.2L V8
Transmission Eight-speed automatic
Power 420hp @ 5,600rpm
Torque 624Nm @ 4,100rpm
Fuel economy, combined 13.5L / 100km
The specs: 2018 Chevrolet Equinox
Price, base / as tested: Dh76,900 / Dh110,900
Engine: 2.0L, turbocharged in-line four-cylinder
Gearbox: Nine-speed automatic
Power: 252hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque: Torque: 352Nm @ 2,500rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 8.5L / 100km
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
