Health exec's murder puts insurance practices in spotlight

Vigilante murder of health insurance exec puts industry practices in the spotlight

What you probably already know: The vigilante murder of a UnitedHealthcare executive is putting the U.S.’s health care system under the spotlight as reactions to the shooting reveal extreme frustrations among consumers. Some have cheered the gunman, who was arrested earlier this week with a manifesto outlining his anger at the health insurance industry, and including mention that “these parasites had it coming.” Meanwhile, the victim, Brian Thompson, 50, was laid to rest in Minnesota. He is survived by his wife and two young sons.

Why? The fact that many people are openly supporting the shooter, while disturbing, also points to the growing frustration over a health care system that can feel like an intentionally confusing maze to navigate. A study earlier this year by the Commonwealth Fund found that 45% of insured working-age adults reported receiving a medical bill for something they thought was covered by insurance, and only half of those say they challenged it, many saying they didn’t know that was an option. Nearly six in 10 people who were denied coverage by their insurance company said their treatment was delayed as a result. People are flooding social media with heartbreaking stories about loved ones being denied coverage, which resulted in cancers spreading and people dying unnecessarily.

What it means: In additional to health outcomes, insurance denials can also lead to serious financial issues for people. U.S. residents owe more than $220 billion in medical debt, and 14 million people owe more than $1,000 each, according to the American Hospital Association. Medical debt is the leading cause of personal bankruptcy filings in the U.S., and elderly people and women, particularly households headed by a single woman, were at much higher risk of filing for bankruptcy due to medical bills. Approximately 530,000 people enter bankruptcy proceedings each year because of medical bills and time away from work, according to the American Journal of Public Health. Many families are one medical bill away from financial collapse, and that has led to increasing anger, particularly as health insurance companies’ profits continue to grow.

What happens now? In addition to putting the health care insurance business in the spotlight, Thompson’s murder has also revealed just how powerless many are feeling about issues that sometimes don’t get the attention from people in a position to affect change. The New York Times described health coverage and income inequality as a topic that has been so ignored by American public officials that voters have simply stopped listing it as a top priority, exacerbating the feeling of helplessness.