aAssassination is despicable. I don't really care if the target is a politician or a mafia boss. That's the way I despise it. Every assassination is (I hate that word) a trigger for anyone old enough to remember the murders of Patrice Lumumba, then JFK, then Malcolm X, then MLK, then RFK. Assassinations are destabilizing. The shooting death of Archduke Franz Ferdinand triggered World War I. Targeted violence is always a sign, a precursor, that social order is disintegrating. I wish I had seen Osama bin Laden put on trial and understood his methods and motivations. We know that trials can be rigged, corrupt, and biased, but for now, the courtroom is the best place to determine guilt or innocence and provide appropriate punishment. Assassination is a death sentence without the benefit of a judge or jury.
All of which is to say that I was deeply horrified by the assassination of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in broad daylight in front of the Hilton Hotel in Manhattan.
As of this writing, the gunman is still on the run, but the casing of the bullet he used clearly states his motive: “denial” and “delay.” Many would argue that these are the two favorite activities, go-to business practices, and bold words in the script that health insurance officials are instructed to follow. As a result, Thompson's murder sparked a flurry of conversations and internet posts about the deep hurt the health insurance industry has inflicted on Americans who made the mistake of trusting their insurance companies to provide adequate coverage. .
It is unfortunate that Thompson's murder has been politicized as the latest outpouring of destructive anger on the left, or as a sign that gun enthusiasts are flexing their muscles. The murder of Brian Thompson was a criminal response to a criminal situation. The only consolation, the only good that comes from it, is that his death leads to some serious soul-searching, a concerted attempt to understand why a seemingly amiable CEO inspired so much violence and hatred. It will probably lead to.
rejection. delay. We all know what these words mean when it comes to health insurance. Doctors and patients alike agree that our nation's health care system is deeply broken. It goes without saying that in the United States, health care reflects and deepens our deep economic disparities. Not too long ago, my husband's longtime doctor left his practice and joined a medical concierge service that costs $60,000 per person per year. Shortly after, I was in the waiting room of an urgent care center in upstate New York, watching patients ask the receptionist if they could pay their $35 co-pay in $5 monthly installments.
A constant criticism of national health services in Canada and Europe has been that people have to wait months to get an appointment. But now in this country, arranging an appointment with a specialist can take months and (depending on insurance) is not as free as it is in countries with state-sponsored schemes. I understand.
Long before Thompson was murdered, people were talking about loved ones who suffered and died because insurance companies refused to pay for medical treatment and long-term care. It would almost seem like a joke if the radical and cruel cost-cutting measures of these companies didn't so often cost patients their life savings and homes.
Recently, an insurance company in the Northeast decided to limit the anesthesia time for which surgical patients could be covered, and then (after public outcry) reversed that decision. Should an anesthesiologist turn off the hose and tell the patient to bite the bullet in the middle of a long surgery, or should the patient be charged thousands of dollars for the final hours? ?And before you blame doctors for these high fees, remember that anesthesiologists pay a huge amount of money in malpractice insurance…to companies for which both doctors and patients pay premiums.? .
What's puzzling is why people who suffer so much from the current system don't try something else. If we introduced universal healthcare, what would be lost? Our freedom? our control? What is our ability to choose? The only bad news is that which has already passed. The only things likely to be reduced are annual bonuses and stock options for insurance company executives.
So let me be clear. I am saddened by the death of Brian Thompson. The mess we are in is not his fault. Our problems are much bigger than his. He was a visible and unfortunate symbol of everything wrong with our health care system.
It saddens me to think of the anger and despair that caused someone to write “Denied” and “Delayed” on the bullet that was aimed at Brian Thompson. But what I regret most is the fact that we, as a society, are willing to accept that our neighbors are left to suffer and die because they don't have the medical care they need. Author Lucy Santé said that we are now in the 33rd year of the Reagan administration, and this observation could not be more apt. We are on our own, the misery of our neighbors is not our problem, the industry that unfortunate Brian Thompson represented profits from our tragic and irreparable situation. More than 30 years have passed since I was told that I should continue to forgive myself. loss.
This article was amended on December 9, 2024 to correct Brian Thompson's first name in photo captions and some text references.
