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Paying For It
Author: BobR
Date: 12/11/2024 15:19:01
It's been a week since the assassination of UHC CEO Brian Thompson outside a hotel in NYC. The reactions have covered wide range, including shock, smugness, and a weird infatuation after the release of "hot" photos of the shooter. At the time, it seemed to be a very specific targeted attack, especially after the police released the information about words written on the shell casings found at the scene. Those words are nearly identical to the title of a book about the horrendous practices of health insurance providers.
The shooter - Luigi Mangione - was arrested in Altoona, PA after a worker at a McDonald's IDed him. Naturally, there's a lot of information coming out about him:
By now, you all know that he came from a fairly rich family, attended a private school, graduated as the valedictorian, and injured his back in a surfing accident. It was apparently his experiences with UCH after his injury (and before that with his mother) that made him hate the company with a passion. From his manifesto describing what his mother went through:
Our local news station reported that requests to private security firms have skyrocketed. Are there others out there that will see this as the first shot on Fort Sumter? Is this the spark that leads us to a place where private health insurance goes the way of the Whigs? A bare minimum should be to create a new law that insurers have to be non-profit. Nearly every person in the U.S. has had some sort of minor problem with insurance companies, but I imagine there are quite a few who have endured the nightmare that Mangione's family did.
Will there be copycats? Will others be inspired to target the health insurance industry? Only time will tell, but I suspect there are meetings going on at all the insurers wondering what changes they need to make in their business model to prevent more bloodshed (which isn't covered by most of them).
The shooter - Luigi Mangione - was arrested in Altoona, PA after a worker at a McDonald's IDed him. Naturally, there's a lot of information coming out about him:
In the aftermath of Mangione’s arrest, news organizations have searched for clues about Mangione’s background and his potential motive, including in comments from family and friends. According to several statements posted to social media and shared with the press, a vague portrait has begun to emerge of a young man who complained of chronic back pain and may have undergone spinal surgery before he appears to have stopped communicating with people — including family members — months ahead of the Dec. 4 shooting. The San Francisco Standard reported Mangione's mom reported him missing to San Francisco police on Nov. 18 (this was also confirmed by the New York Times).
By now, you all know that he came from a fairly rich family, attended a private school, graduated as the valedictorian, and injured his back in a surfing accident. It was apparently his experiences with UCH after his injury (and before that with his mother) that made him hate the company with a passion. From his manifesto describing what his mother went through:
The third doctor performed a Nerve Conduction Study, Electromyography, MRI, and blood tests. Each test cost $800 to $1200. She hit the $6000 deductible of her UnitedHealthcare plan in October. Then the doctor went on vacation, and my mother wasn’t able to resume tests until January when her deductible reset.
[...]
The high copays made consistent treatment impossible. New treatments were denied as “not medically necessary.” Old treatments didn’t work, and still put us out for thousands of dollars.
UnitedHealthcare limited specialist consultations to twice a year.
Then they refused to cover advanced imaging, which the specialists required for an appointment.
Prior authorizations took weeks, then months.
UnitedHealthcare constantly changed their claim filing procedure. They said my mother’s doctor needed to fax his notes. Then UnitedHealthcare said they did not save faxed patient correspondence, and required a hardcopy of the doctor’s typed notes to be mailed. Then they said they never received the notes. They were unable to approve the claim until they had received and filed the notes.
They promised coverage, and broke their word to my mother.
With every delay, my anger surged. With every denial, I wanted to throw the doctor through the glass wall of their hospital waiting room.
But it wasn’t them. It wasn’t the doctors, the receptionists, administrators, pharmacists, imaging technicians, or anyone we ever met. It was UnitedHealthcare.
Our local news station reported that requests to private security firms have skyrocketed. Are there others out there that will see this as the first shot on Fort Sumter? Is this the spark that leads us to a place where private health insurance goes the way of the Whigs? A bare minimum should be to create a new law that insurers have to be non-profit. Nearly every person in the U.S. has had some sort of minor problem with insurance companies, but I imagine there are quite a few who have endured the nightmare that Mangione's family did.
Will there be copycats? Will others be inspired to target the health insurance industry? Only time will tell, but I suspect there are meetings going on at all the insurers wondering what changes they need to make in their business model to prevent more bloodshed (which isn't covered by most of them).
