It's been just over a month since the tragic murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson sent shockwaves through the healthcare industry and exposed public frustrations with insurers. In the aftermath, tensions have escalated, with healthcare organizations facing additional threats of violence amid calls for meaningful change.
Mr. Thompson was killed Dec. 4 outside the New York Hilton Midtown, where UnitedHealth Group was hosting its annual investor day conference.
Following the arrest of the now-charged suspect, Luigi Mangione, officers recovered a handwritten manifesto outlining Mr. Mangione's motivations and mindset, in which he expressed disdain for corporate America and the healthcare industry. Investigators also discovered the words "deny," "defend," and "depose" written on shell casings at the crime scene.
Five updates:
1. Mr. Mangione is facing both state and federal charges in the murder of Mr. Thompson. The federal indictment deadline has been extended to Feb. 17, and his next state court appearance is scheduled for Feb. 21.
In December, Mr. Mangione pleaded not guilty in a New York state court to multiple counts of murder, including murder as an act of terrorism. Federal prosecutors brought their own charges over the shooting, including murder through the use of a firearm — a charge that could make him eligible for the death penalty if convicted, according to CNN. The state charges have a maximum sentence of life in prison without parole. In addition to the state and federal cases, he also faces charges in Pennsylvania, where he is accused of forgery and possession of an unlicensed firearm.
2. Healthcare organizations and their employees have been facing harassment and violent threats since the shooting: A Florida woman was arrested and charged after telling a Blue Cross Blue Shield employee "Delay, deny, depose. You people are next" following a denied claim; an HCA Healthcare sign was vandalized in Nashville with the words "deny," "defend," and "depose;" and a Las Vegas man was arrested after threatening to "shoot up" a Molina Healthcare building.
3. Since the shooting, health systems and insurers have tightened security around their executives and removed biographical information online. Some insurers have indefinitely paused allowing their executives to speak to the media or post online.
In a Jan. 6 op-ed in Forbes, SCAN CEO Sachin Jain, MD, acknowledged insurers' role in fueling public distrust with the healthcare system and called on the industry to rebuild trust by admitting past mistakes, prioritizing patient advocacy, improving preventive care and emphasizing that meaningful change should begin with an acknowledgment: "We are sorry, and we can and will be better."
4. In the new year, UnitedHealth Group has remained largely silent about the murder. In December, the company looked to correct what it said was misformation being circulated about its claims approval rates, and CEO Andrew Witty published an op-ed in The New York Times expressing sympathy with the public's frustrations over the healthcare system.
"We grieve the passing of our dear friend and colleague and continue to work closely with law enforcement and their investigation of this horrific crime," the company said Dec. 13.
5. In an Emerson College poll of 1,000 U.S. voters published Dec. 17, 68% thought the actions of the murderer were unacceptable, 17% found the actions acceptable, and 16% were unsure. Among voters aged 18 to 29, 41% said the killing was acceptable, 40% said it was not, and 19% were neutral.
In a mid-December survey from NORC at the University of Chicago of 1,001 U.S. adults, 78% said the killer has a "great deal" or "moderate amount" of responsibility for the murder. Almost 70% of respondents said claims denials and insurers' profits also bear a "great deal" or "moderate amount" of responsibility.