The health insurance system can kill hundreds of thousands of people by denying coverage for life-saving measures and medications. Yet names and faces of lives lost, of families grieving due to that neglect, aren’t known to us or attributed to the organization that denied life saving care- 🧵 1/? - ThreadSky

leenmcbeans.bsky.social • 176 days ago

The health insurance system can kill hundreds of thousands of people by denying coverage for life-saving measures and medications. Yet names and faces of lives lost, of families grieving due to that neglect, aren’t known to us or attributed to the organization that denied life saving care-

🧵 1/?

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leenmcbeans.bsky.social•176 days ago

The corporation doesn’t get blamed or held accountable for the decision that ultimately leads to thousands dying. There’s no one person to blame. That’s part of the design: the lack of accountability that allows it to continue- it doesn’t make it right but makes it understandable

🧵 2/?

leenmcbeans.bsky.social•176 days ago

We get a profile of the United Healthcare CEO. Of what a good person he was to his children. We do not get the countless accounts and images of lives that United had a considerable part in ending by denying coverage. The victims are dehumanized and anonymous. Easy to choose profit over-

🧵 3/?

leenmcbeans.bsky.social•176 days ago

When people are reduced to numbers without faces, it’s easy to choose profit over people. That’s what makes it easier for people that work there. They don’t have to see the faces or hear about the people whose lives they denied life-saving care to. It wasn’t *their* choice. They sleep easier.

🧵 4/?

leenmcbeans.bsky.social•176 days ago

If there was a split in the track, a fork, and the CEO of United Healthcare were tied to the tracks on one side and hundreds of thousands of people were tied to the other side — when the trolley approaches, you might decide which track to switch it to easier, right?

leenmcbeans.bsky.social•176 days ago

It doesn’t make it right. The fact that we know the face and life of one, and the others remain faceless and voiceless— that is probably a huge part of the problem. It’s capitalism, baby.

If you lost a loved one due to a corporation that denied life-saving care, is the top of that org to blame?

leenmcbeans.bsky.social•176 days ago

At a logical level, detached from emotion, we can say “it’s never right to kill someone! It wasn’t that one man to blame!”

But if you pause and think of your dearest loved one dying due to denied coverage that would have saved them? Bet you’d understand some of the grief, rage, and hopelessness.

the-dogfather.bsky.social•176 days ago

It's not a matter of blame. It's a statement.

cobaltfoil.bsky.social•176 days ago

I completely understand your argument. I’m just asking that you please don’t defend murder. I know that’s not what you’re doing, but it’s not a short leap.

leenmcbeans.bsky.social•176 days ago

Nowhere here did I defend murder. I just think it’s worth sitting with some of the discomfort and ambivalence that we tend to avoid. We want easy answers and a morally black or white perspective and, simply? This isn’t one.

cobaltfoil.bsky.social•176 days ago

I know you didn’t. It is really terrible and you are absolutely right that there are no easy answers or black and white perspective here. Health insurance in general has become one of the most evil industries in this country. So so much undeserved and unanswered pain. It makes sense but is so sad.

juniperbloom.bsky.social•176 days ago

It’s shameful. Also in November Anthem BC/BC decided they will deny anesthesia claims for surgeries they deem to to take too long. This will raise their body count as well.

leenmcbeans.bsky.social•176 days ago

I hope the CEO of bcbs keeps the thought of the united health ceo in the back of their mind then, tbh

juniperbloom.bsky.social•176 days ago

Yeah I hope so. As for insurance they’ve always been one of the better ones for the consumer. In the Midwest we’ve all been on pins and needles over their fight with Mercy. Especially those of us in rural areas (Mercy is basically the only healthcare provider). 🧵

juniperbloom.bsky.social•176 days ago

Millions of us were about to lose our providers because of it with no other option other than drive into big cities for care or change insurance companies. I can’t help but think it’s partially a dig at settling with Mercy. I haven’t looked that up yet though.

leenmcbeans.bsky.social•176 days ago

Huh. Didn’t know about it but sounds like it could be.

Privatized healthcare continues to be more and more of a hellscape

juniperbloom.bsky.social•176 days ago

Absolutely

madeofmonsters.bsky.social•176 days ago

I've heard the terms "depraved" and "ghoulish" thrown around as if any of our social media snark can compete with the actual deadly bullshit that fuels our healthcare system

call me depraved, I guess

leenmcbeans.bsky.social•176 days ago

Nah, it is felt on a core level. Any explanation depicting it as otherwise is over simplified and devoid of human meaning, which is again by design.

The United Health CEO was humanized. The countless lives that his corporation contributed to ending? They were not.

libsammich69.bsky.social•175 days ago

Western medicine is a joke! It needs serious reform

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