On December 4, at approximately 6:45 a.m., three rounds fatally shot Brian Thompson, the CEO of UnitedHealthcare, one of the largest health insurance companies in the United States, at close range in midtown Manhattan near the New York Hilton Midtown Hotel. He was taken to the hospital in a critical condition, but his life was not saved.
Authorities apprehended Luigi Mangione, a 26-year-old male, on suspicion of murdering Thompson. People magazine reports that social media users have referred to him as the “Robin Hood of our time” and the “real-life John Wick” (a hitman character portrayed by Keanu Reeves in the movie franchise).
Reuters reports that a significant number of Americans, dissatisfied with the healthcare system, supported Mangione. They organized a fundraiser in his honor. Mangione has received messages of support, some of which justify his actions, in addition to financial contributions.
“Wanted” posters depicting executives of health insurance companies began to appear throughout New York City following Mangione’s arrest. In the interim, Reuters reported that merchandise featuring Mangione’s image, including headwear with the phrase “CEO Hunter,” was available for purchase online.
The pervasive dissatisfaction with the US healthcare system is the foundation of the public’s support for Mangione. Americans have voiced numerous complaints about the health insurance industry on the crowdfunding platform GiveSendGo, where they are raising funds for Mangione.
One user commented that refusing to provide medical coverage is murder, yet no one is held accountable for this crime, referring to Thompson’s death as a “justifiable homicide.” As of December 15, GiveSendGo had raised over $107,000 in support of Mangione.
Police reports revealed that Mangione had a 200-page manifesto accusing the US healthcare system of malfeasance. Users have expressed their frustrations with the healthcare system, flooding platforms like X (formerly Twitter), TikTok, and Reddit with messages of solidarity with Mangione.
The words “depose,” “deny,” and “delay,” inscribed on shell casings found at the crime scene, are likely a criticism of the denial of insurance claims.
Additionally, healthcare professionals have expressed their opinions. An ER nurse conveyed her outrage at insurance claim denials in a TikTok video: According to reports, she stated, “It makes me sick to see dying patients denied coverage.”
Users on Reddit have characterized the incident as a “wake-up call” for corporate America and have branded the healthcare system as “fraudulent.”
The hashtag #FreeLuigi has acquired momentum, with Mangione becoming a symbol of anti-elite sentiment in the United States.
Taylor Lorenz, a former columnist for The New York Times and The Washington Post, even expressed “joy” over Thompson’s death. In an interview on Piers Morgan’s YouTube program, she acknowledged that she was initially thrilled to learn about the killing. However, she later withdrew her statement, expressing her satisfaction only in addressing the injustice of the healthcare system.
In her newsletter, User Mag, Lorenz expressed that if one has witnessed a loved one’s death due to an insurance conglomerate denying life-saving treatment to reduce costs, it is “natural to wish the same fate on those running these conglomerates.” She further wrote that thousands of Americans, including herself, are weary of our barbaric healthcare system and the executives who profit from the agony, suffering, and death of millions.
Even after Thompson’s murder, social media users have shared personal accounts of the company’s denial. One user recalled that UnitedHealthcare declined to reimburse them for a one-day hospital stay for their 12-year-old child after undergoing heart surgery, citing it as “medically unnecessary.”
Another individual disclosed that UnitedHealthcare abruptly discontinued coverage of their chemotherapy, necessitating that nurses disclose the information during a scheduled appointment.
CBS News reports that Americans are paying more for insurance than they ever have before, which has resulted in an increase in their resentment toward UnitedHealthcare. Insurance premiums have surpassed inflation, leaving many consumers with thousands of dollars in out-of-pocket expenses. Additionally, insurers are rejecting approximately one in five claims.
The rising costs of healthcare and insurance have forced millions of Americans into debt. Nearly one in twelve Americans currently hold medical debt, with approximately three million individuals owing more than $10,000.
The US health insurance industry has experienced unprecedented profits in the past decade, with the largest insurers collectively earning more than $371 billion since 2010. UnitedHealthcare alone was responsible for over 40% of that profit, with annual revenues increasing by nearly 400%. In the meantime, insurance premiums for families have amounted to nearly $26,000 annually, and insurers continue to deny claims at an alarming rate.
Recent Gallup data shows that 62% of Americans, a record high over the past decade, believe the federal government should provide healthcare coverage for everyone, leading to widespread calls for reform.
The crisis serves as a stark reminder of the systemic failure previously mentioned by Forbes. The United States is the sole developed nation that does not provide universal healthcare, prioritizing corporate profits over the welfare of its citizens, the publication writes.