UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson’s killing exposes frustrations with US medical system
His death did not draw much online sympathy, and a research group noted his firm denies a striking one-third of all health insurance claims
Jokes, snark and a striking absence of sympathy have dominated public sentiment since the murder of a US health insurance executive – exposing deep frustration and anger with the nation’s medical system.
Brian Thompson, the CEO of UnitedHealthcare and the father of two teenage sons, was fatally shot in New York on Wednesday, setting off a citywide manhunt.
Within moments of the news breaking, the internet erupted – not with outrage, but with cheers and often tasteless reaction.
A Facebook post mourning the 50-year-old’s death, shared by UnitedHealth Group, racked up more than 71,000 laugh emojis as of Friday – dwarfing other reactions.
“My thoughts and prayers are out-of-network,” became a recurring quip in comment sections, a biting nod to one of the most notorious reasons US insurance companies deny coverage: when a patient’s provider is not included in their plan.
Even doctors on one of the internet’s largest forums for medical professionals joined the fray, posting satirical comments on the “medicine” subreddit that mimicked the jargon often found in insurance denial letters, such as “lack of prior authorisation” and “failure to prove medical necessity”.
