RE: United Healthcare—“I think the leaders of the industry should look at this and ask: Why does everybody hate us so much that when one of us gets killed in an assassination … we’re not hearing sympathy from the general public—we’re hearing scorn?”
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"Why does everybody hate us so much that when one of us gets killed in an assassination"
Because all I see every day on social media is kitty cat photos, dumb memes, stupid jokes. I don't see popular people talking about reforming health care. Only when it became action film street violence.
And of course, when popular people do express opinions, they get shouted down by morons who think they should stick to acting or singing or whatever, as though they're not affected by predatory capitalism too.
I think entertainment is a necessary relief valve, but it's certainly possible to use it to just ignore the flames all around. Unrestrained greed is killing us on a lot of fronts. It's frustrating that so many refuse to wake up to the threats.
Even if a hundred business executives were eliminated, the plight of the ordinary person would see little improvement without change in the system to disincentivize greed.
TAking a look at their terrible policies would be the right thing to do, but that won't ever happen as long as the almighty $$$ keep rolling in. The race for being a billionaire has become the rave in America, more important than ethics, morals, people's lives
People are waking up, the rest of the world does not have a system like America.
Insurance companies have no interest in good health outcomes, only good financial outcomes.
Maybe we should look back in history to see what happened when the ‘serfs’ decided enough was enough. There are many examples to look at - some a bit less extreme than others. People should understand - history repeats itself over and over again. Just human nature.
The health care ceo's are mass murders..and serial killers they have caused the deaths of millions..it's about time they face repercussions for their crimes
He can play for sympathy all he wants. 🎻 Nobody cares. Insurance companies are for profit and beholden to share holders. People really suffer because of that.
This is true. In a capitalistic society, corporate leaders have a fiduciary responsibility to their stock holders. Consider the overhead in for profit healthcare. Too many companies wanting a slice of that cash.
Taken to its logical conclusion, the 'ideal' insurance co. would pay out just as few claims as it had to, to meet legal obligations, meet overhead and remain competitive while denying absolutely everything else. With deregulation (GOP's wet dream), they would pay out even less.
Or, allow a single payer system and eliminate all the unnecessary overhead (aka Medicare for all). Why does the US have to be practically the only country to not do that.
The public response doesn't mean WE'RE the sickos. Treating people worse than livestock is morally reprehensible. We don't care about shareholders. Insurance premiums are paid in good faith. They should never be allowed to deny anything. PERIOD. So the "fu*k that guy" attitude will continue.
Fundamentally the problem is that Americans require a third party to fund health care expense, and that third party is incentivised to pay for as little health care as they can. This is a perverse system that cannot possibly deliver health care in an efficient and effective way.
People are tired of injustice and double standards. The system of robbing people when they are at their most vulnerable is unconscionable. There is a breaking point and some people have reached it.
Yrs ago when a 1/4 mile ambulance ride of a person who could have walked cost $1026, I looked up & saw hospital, ambulance company & mental health hospital were owned by same investment company. Gotta create unneeded procedures & pad healthcare bills for investors.
Wealthy individuals do not care about the poor. And when some of them do decide to give tiny portions of their vast fortunes away it is not because they care about anyone other than themselves.
Case in point-Anthem Blue last week changed its policy on anesthesiologist to 2 HOURS in a surgery!
States that they were going to TARGET revolted against the policy and ANTHEM backed DOWN!
When social inequalities become great, and blatant disregard for human life becomes institutionalized these things will happen with greater frequency. The People will consider assassins like the one that eliminated the CEO as a Robin-Hood type.
Ultimately Murder is Murder, 🔫or 🖋️ makes no difference.
I think that today's people aren't compassionate toward anyone who they don't like or approve of. I think the victim was the CEO of a firm which was reprehensible in their greediness. Yet, I can't & won't express happiness at the cold blooded killing of a fellow human being, no matter what he did.
It truly amazes me how many seniors choose Medicare Advantage (private healthcare that denies millions of medical claims annually) over original Medicare. Why are so many people so gullible and ignorant?
“Ignorant” means unknowing, not unintelligent. My point is everyone needs to do research, including medical denial rates, and be wary of sales pitches that lure seniors with “special perks” that cost the companies little as they endeavor to delay and deny you care when you have a serious illness.
Went thru all of this w/ husband. All pay $185/mo for Medicare - use it or not. No drug,vision or dental coverage, physicals or long term care. Can get drug plan for add. $21 to $152/mo.+ Medigap plan to pay a little more also extra fee. Most MedAd. plans cover all of the above, no extra fees.
Medicare pays 80% of total fee from MD's instead of a copay Everyone has different health needs and can match these needs w/ coverage that is best for them.
I don't disagree that many have trouble and denials w/ their chosen plans as there are so many. IMO insurance is a giant racket no matter what
coverage you have. I still stand by my "harsh" statement as people should not be labeled as "ignorant" or "gullible" for the choice that works best for them Oh, and it's not difficult to switch between the 2 types of coverage - but again everyone is different and have different issues w/ healthcare
They (United Healthcare) need to wake the fuck up and pay attention as to why? Thing is they didn’t give a shit people were just a commodity to them…. The people won out this time!
The people who run big health insurance corporations are greed personified. Their policies profitize the suffering of their customers. United was a pioneer in the "Advantage" programs where the customer pays less and the government pays more.
The whole purpose of insurance companies is to make big profits, increase shareholder value. Execs are compensated accordingly. Paying claims, especially expensive claims doesn’t increase their bottom line.
Crazy the US depends on these companies to be the deciders in people’s lives.
They have no souls, no compassion and certainly no ability to self-reflect. You don’t make millions off the deaths of millions by caring about the haters.
I wonder what it would be like if everyone had access to affordable healthcare, were coverage for preexisting conditions, and were able to negotiate health insurance plans and billing?
mainstream journos and the paper of record of the plutocracy don’t get it either. all i see is “this is a dark path and we are so sacred” vs “people are waking up, finally, after being fucked by the rich/govt for decades”
just imagine how the nyt would have covered the french revolution lmao
We want them all thrown out. To much corruption.
Congress needs to do something to help the insured get the coverage they need. Power can’t be a one way street.
We can also be shocked and chilled about the Unamerican Activities of the insurance industry. BUT, we should find a way to separate those issues. More Congressional hearings needed. Better plan to get emergency treatment for people who are denied.
Having worked as an investigator for a governmental agency for 30 years, I retired & went to work for a large healthcare company. The most difficult part of my transition was recognizing that my position was not to point out egregious actions, but to simply ignore, deny & more importantly RECOUP!
2. What I learned is healthcare insurance companies are not in the business of helping its customers. It’s all about their bottom line when you see CEOs earning $14 million & laying off people within the company & denying vital life-saving services
3. you quickly learn the truth they are in the business to make money for themselves. Their enroll these are left to fight and conduct battle with the insurer to hopefully have the denials overturned in their favor and services allowed.
4. I once had a man battling lymphoma and whose services were denied for him to receive care at a renowned Cancer Centers of Excellence. I instructed this subscriber.On how to fight back & later learned he won his insurance battle but ultimately lost his battle with lymphoma.
They shouldn’t exist.
Doctors sold their souls for profit.
The Hippocratic oath doesn’t exist.
They’re more concerned with keeping their lifestyles & licenses than any pretense of altruistic intentions.
Smarmy Mother Fuckers 99% of em.
Keep your health & don’t get sick.
Otherwise Ur Fucked.
Since the day this happened, I've been trying to feel sympathy for this man. I can't. He got up every day and made a conscious choice to cause hundreds of thousands of people, maybe even millions, to suffer or die, to enrich himself and his shareholders. These are facts HE created.☮️
I’m not saying that he was a good guy, but it reminds me of a quote from grapes of wrath “A bank isn’t like a man. Or an owner with fifty thousand acres, he isn’t like a man either. That’s the monster.” It’s not the man, but the monster.
A weird little foible but, AI image generation is also theft on a grand scale. Maybe fix that AI header image when there's a chance? It's not hard to be slightly ethically/morally consistent if we're drawing attention to these systemic forms of extraction from people.
First thing I read is CEO’S want to hire more security. So they pay for bodyguards instead of just covering Customer’s Claims.
Every CEO can give up a little $$- nobody needs $10 - 20 million a year. It’s obscene.
Scorn? In plenty of cases it’s jubilation. The only thing the companies learned is pay more for body guards and take ceo details down from their websites. Of course all new costs will be passed along to we the people.
It's wild. Over on Threads, the stories people are telling about the insurance companies are absolutely heartbreaking. I understand the lack of empathy.
You sound like you actually think they’re generally intelligent. They’re only intelligent in how to scam people. So I doubt if they can extract an actual message from this ceo being euthanized. The stock gained $15 a share. Meeting wasn’t cancel or postpone he was there for. They don’t care either.
Here in Texas, we have an unofficial law - the "He Needed Killin'" statute - that seems to apply in this case. Thompson may have fooled people into thinking he was a good guy - psychopaths are very good at this - but he was a murderer many times over. No sympathy at all. Other CEOs take note.
Wonder? We know they’re not listening. Imagine how many appeals, letters, and angry phone calls they’ve had to ignore before this moment to achieve the result of the public cheering the slaughter of ONE.
They KNOW they’re evil and until one died they didn’t care.
It's not that we don't sympathize, it's just locked behind a thousand dollar paywall, and if you want vocal work it's locked behind the premium package five times the price of the normal sympathy
The gap between the rich and the poor in the United States is getting bigger and bigger, and the emotions and dissatisfaction in the hearts of citizens are ready to explode at any time. Successful people have not fulfilled their social responsibilities.
They know. They knew the answer when they accepted the position. This isn't a new development. If I made that much money, I could also afford to not GAF what ppl thought of me.
Democrats, Congress, Governors, AG’s… history has handed you an open door, for profit insurance is the healthcare problem, for profit insurance needs to be removed from the equation… you may not like the circumstance but you have an open door to go build a coalition to go straight at insurance.
You have allowed Republicans to chip away at the ACA till it is a shell of what it could have been, just like you let them chip away at SCOTUS, ROE, and the Constitution… here is your chance for offense on healthcare. Go hard now. New story new coalition.
You can’t say “Medicare for All” “Single Payer” or any of the prior language, you need new language and most importantly a new story and you need it now. You are the pros, who is the villain who is the hero who is the loser who is the winner… you are the pros get it together and start Monday…
Build a coalition with big pharma, with hospitals, with physician medical groups, with Kaiser Permanente type provider/insurance models… with whoever you have to but build a coalition that can remove private for profit insurance from the equation… you have a turning point opportunity in front of you
The company I worked for was acquired by UHG earlier this year. In the few months it took me to escape, every negative stereotype you can imagine was reinforced. It’s a huge, bureaucratic, inefficient org with an always-cover-your-own-ass culture.
They don't want to talk about Healthcare reform because of who's coming into presidency soon. There trying to keep people dumb so we dont rise up for when slashes come to va care, social security,Medicare, medicade, aca and etc. They know if nothing happens then it's record profits.
Nadie es inmune a😷
Cuando los privados ven un negocio en la enfermedad y ellos sientes 0 compasión por alguien que esta muriendo, por alguien que necesita un medicamento, buscan un porque para decirte no,y te dicen que las cosas son así, ¿Qué esperan? también quieren manejar los sentimientos,porque?
Media gave more coverage to some old rich dude getting killed instead of focusing on the two kindergartners who were just murdered. Why should any of us care about some old rich dude when the media doesn't care about dead children?
The media has trained us to be apathetic, and now blame us for it
This sentiment justified or not, has been festering for a long time. Gross income inequality invariably leads to violence. People are sick of CEOs making obscene amounts of money and essentially echoing Marie Antoinette, only there isn't even a piece of cake anymore; only crumbs.
Not sure if this is your statement, or you're quoting someone, but it is spot on. The insurance universe is a mess. There needs to be an entire revamping, which will be incredibly difficult, given the hold the insurance industry has over state and federal governments.
A thoughtful piece. My thought is that the killing of Thompson had more to do with Anthem backing down on anesthesia times than all the whinging on social media.
No one wants to be sick- no one wants to be hospitalized with an illness when they know a gigantic hospital bill awaits them. But on top of the pain of being sick, big insurance companies work very hard to deny legit claims while greedily collecting their fees from the poorest pockets. Scorn indeed.
The CSAT that they care about is their corporate customers, not as much the end insureds. The corporate buyers insulate them somewhat from the rage, and in any case the rage is priced in.
Alternatively- workers could just own their own labor and we could just not have CEOs who exist for no other reason than to steal the wages of their workers to line the pockets of their investors.
You're like Lao Tzu talking about how the best king is one that does nothing- just get rid of the king
you just described socialism, unfortunately we don't live in a fair world where ceos cared about more than their bottom dollar, and the systems in place inherently reward selfishness and theft up to and including at the state level
The only thing they care about now is finding competent private security. They like their gross salaries too much to care about those they deny coverage.
Reminds me of the BP CEO after the Gulf oil spill disaster back in 2011 , when interviewed whining that he wanted his life back, because things were getting too stressful
Yet voters elected a criminal who will reside over the most corrupt, incompetent administration in the history of America. Let's hope that when the looting and plunder begins, people will express their contempt for that also because many lives are about to be destroyed.
I am so sick of the “waah Trump” crowd on here. Things were already bad. Homelessness is already at an all time high, military and police spending all time high, labor protections at a historic low, and all our $ being spent on pointless evil wars.
Listen, shitlib. You are being criticized *FROM THE LEFT.*
There is a WHOLE world—literally—to the left of the Democrats.
You are not the good guys. You play the good guys on tv, then give Netanyahu a standing ovation. You paint “Black Lives Matter” on the street then up police funding.
You treat Obama like the Second Coming even though he dropped a bomb every 20 minutes on average for eight years. Joe Biden has fiercely protected the perpetrators of the modern holocaust at the cost of a Trump presidency.
Your party is worth less than shit to working people. Go cry over that CEO.
I organize tenant unions in my city, participate with other mutual aid organizations’ serving events when I can, and make art as part of a renters’ rights art collective.
Assuming you were totally asking in good faith and not just looking for a ‘gotcha.’
Presidents should do that, but they dont
So you are right
WE have to do it
We have to START
We have to help people. WE have to make a stand
We have to end greed, excessive capitalism too
WE have the power.
Stop voting for the lawmakers who #oppose #usnationalhealthcare and those who are against #taxingtherich and then maybe just maybe we will see #change for the betterment of #uscitizens. #oligarchy
We hate them because they are monsters. Like serial killers. They take lives with impunity. Lives are taken for their pleasure. Money does not make them any less.
30 years working in a pharmacy. I have seen people in pain, sick people and people with life-threatening illnesses be denied. Over and over and over. He was not a good man. His life work was greed at any cost, even at the suffering and death of others. Not condoning his murder but let's be truthful.
Maybe they should ask how a person like Brian Thompson, who people say was a proverbial great guy, could make the decisions he made - and forced others to make - that harmed so very many others so badly, then go home to his mcmansion and be at peace with wealth.
Now queue the pop psychologists and deniers as they swarm to claim none of the casual violence in our "entertainment" environments is systemically connected to the violence in our real world.
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A CEO of UnitedHealth was killed, but Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield reversed their insane anesthesia policy change when the realization hit that "we might be next." Now patients' lives aren't on the line.
Capitalism fosters competition & a drive to become successful. That is the positive side of capitalism. The downside is, there's no guardrails against GREED. GREED should NOT be the indicator of how well capitalism is working. Especially when it concerns citizen's healthcare, food, housing.
You mistook them for somebody who gives a fuck for anything other than the profit line.
USA in a nutshell.
With one of the biggest offenders about to be given power again.
Maybe they should be actually helping people instead of just making all the money. Especially in a era when wealth inequality is massive and purchasing power is at the lowest. Especially in inelastic markets like healthcare.
With the slow progress of the investigation and the public’s reaction, I definitely think this is a time for reflection. It’s unfortunate that it took someone being assassinated for that to happen.
I hate calling my insurance and knowing that the folks I have to complain to to get answers also have sub-par insurance (same thing happens with the people at my GI office who do prior authorizations). Everyone (minus the rich,) in this country has to deal with this shit
Hey Eric Feigl-Ding...Read every single comment below and ask yourself, "Aren't you glad you asked?" It's a money-making corrupt system, legalized extortion that is killing people. It wasn't always this way so get on board and do something about it! 🤬
Given that key persons are generally heavily insured, and given the way golden parachutes are usually structured, this was almost certainly a net windfall for UHC.
No - they don’t get to feign “Are we the baddies” ignorance here. They know EXACTLY what they do, who it affects, & already knew people hate them. What they didn’t know is that they were “touchable.”
I hope they all fucking live in fear now. See how it feels.
Facts. While I doubt it is happening, I hope at least some of these vultures get a visit from the Ghost of Christmas Future this season… and that he’s wearing a green hoodie in their dreams.
Comments
Because all I see every day on social media is kitty cat photos, dumb memes, stupid jokes. I don't see popular people talking about reforming health care. Only when it became action film street violence.
Insurance companies have no interest in good health outcomes, only good financial outcomes.
American capitalism is on the wrong track
Their wallets and the company wallet is their priority. Everything else is lip service or rationalization
Better called the Mafia.
Their existence is criminal.
Can I have my cheque?
Naw, they’ve been making brazen unpopular decisions for decades. Just before they didn’t die if they made them.
This time we enforce being good.
We will go back to SS, DD.
States that they were going to TARGET revolted against the policy and ANTHEM backed DOWN!
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/amp/rcna183035
Ultimately Murder is Murder, 🔫or 🖋️ makes no difference.
https://bsky.app/profile/dkh.bsky.social/post/3lcr3nmy25s2q
Have talked to a few seniors who regret having made the switch
I don't disagree that many have trouble and denials w/ their chosen plans as there are so many. IMO insurance is a giant racket no matter what
Crazy the US depends on these companies to be the deciders in people’s lives.
Oh, wait?.... 🤔
just imagine how the nyt would have covered the french revolution lmao
Congress needs to do something to help the insured get the coverage they need. Power can’t be a one way street.
It’s going to take a lot more to force a change. Board of directors???
We can also be shocked and chilled about the Unamerican Activities of the insurance industry. BUT, we should find a way to separate those issues. More Congressional hearings needed. Better plan to get emergency treatment for people who are denied.
fight for proper medical coverage for life-saving treatment.!
Doctors sold their souls for profit.
The Hippocratic oath doesn’t exist.
They’re more concerned with keeping their lifestyles & licenses than any pretense of altruistic intentions.
Smarmy Mother Fuckers 99% of em.
Keep your health & don’t get sick.
Otherwise Ur Fucked.
They are FAR more likely to hire armed security than they are to change their business strategy.
Every CEO can give up a little $$- nobody needs $10 - 20 million a year. It’s obscene.
Every job has consequences to someone else
Insurance companies
They KNOW they’re evil and until one died they didn’t care.
Execution
Officer
Cuando los privados ven un negocio en la enfermedad y ellos sientes 0 compasión por alguien que esta muriendo, por alguien que necesita un medicamento, buscan un porque para decirte no,y te dicen que las cosas son así, ¿Qué esperan? también quieren manejar los sentimientos,porque?
The media has trained us to be apathetic, and now blame us for it
Affordable housing? Rent? Availability?
Autos? Priced a car lately?
Utilities?
College tuition?
Policing?
Desperate ppl aren't just being squeezed, they're then being brutalized by authorities
You're like Lao Tzu talking about how the best king is one that does nothing- just get rid of the king
Presidents changing doesn’t help us. WE help us.
There is a WHOLE world—literally—to the left of the Democrats.
You are not the good guys. You play the good guys on tv, then give Netanyahu a standing ovation. You paint “Black Lives Matter” on the street then up police funding.
Your party is worth less than shit to working people. Go cry over that CEO.
They’re still both cops. They have the same goals, they get paid by the same people, and after work they go to the same parties.
Keep your arrogant political illiteracy off my posts, please.
Presidents will not feed the hungry. We have to do that.
Presidents will not protect immigrants. We have to.
Presidents will not house the unhoused. We have to.
Presidents will not end our wars. We have to.
Feed people, make art, bully fascists, just pick a lane and go.
Assuming you were totally asking in good faith and not just looking for a ‘gotcha.’
So you are right
WE have to do it
We have to START
We have to help people. WE have to make a stand
We have to end greed, excessive capitalism too
WE have the power.
Values sundered from humanity.
It is entirely uncoincidental that the news-entertainment complex has glorified Sopranos and Bad men "breaking" the system.
We swallow it as rats do sugar, growing fat and hating all.
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A CEO of UnitedHealth was killed, but Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield reversed their insane anesthesia policy change when the realization hit that "we might be next." Now patients' lives aren't on the line.
Fear works when it comes to changing minds.
USA in a nutshell.
With one of the biggest offenders about to be given power again.
What could go wrong.
With the slow progress of the investigation and the public’s reaction, I definitely think this is a time for reflection. It’s unfortunate that it took someone being assassinated for that to happen.
The public’s scorn for the healthcare system, is a melting pot.
https://bsky.app/profile/kenklippenstein.bsky.social/post/3lcoissyse22h
I hope they all fucking live in fear now. See how it feels.