Insurers are facing a wave of public scrutiny and vitriol in the wake of the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
Mr. Thompson was fatally shot Dec. 4 outside of the New York Hilton Midtown in New York City, where UnitedHealth Group was hosting its annual investor day conference. New York City police called the shooting "a brazen and targeted attack." As of Dec. 6, the suspected assailant is still at large.
The killing of the CEO of the nation's largest insurer has sparked a firestorm of online hostility toward insurers more broadly. Individuals took to social media to share their experiences with delayed and denied care by UnitedHealthcare and other insurers, the New York Times reported. Some shared "morbid glee" over Mr. Thompson's death, according to the outlet.
Despite the callous reaction from some online, UnitedHealth Group said it received an "outpouring of kindness and support" after the attack.
"So many patients, consumers, healthcare professionals, associations, government officials and other caring people have taken time out of their day to reach out. We are thankful, even as we grieve," the company said in a Dec. 5 statement.
Authorities have not determined a motive in Thompson's killing. NBC News reported that the words "deny," "defend" and "depose" were written on shell casings found at the crime scene. The words could be linked to insurers' claim denial practices; "Delay, Deny, Defend: Why Insurance Companies Don't Pay Claims and What You Can Do About It" is the title of a 2010 book critical of the industry, according to theNew York Times.
Mr. Thompson's wife, Paulette Thompson, told NBC News her husband had received threats recently, possibly over a "lack of coverage."
"I don't know the details," Ms. Thompson told the outlet. "I just know that he said there were some people that had been threatening him."
Michael Tuffin, CEO of AHIP, the trade association representing health insurers, wrote in a Dec. 5 post on LinkedIn that the association condemns "any suggestion that threats against our colleagues — or anyone else in our country — are ever acceptable."
"The people in our industry are mission-driven professionals working to make coverage and care as affordable as possible and to help people navigate the complex medical system," Mr. Tuffin wrote. "They are conscientious, dedicated people from all walks of life who serve their communities. They are our family, friends and neighbors."
U.S. Representative Dean Phillips, who represents the Minnesota district where UnitedHealth Group is headquartered, weighed in on the backlash in a Dec. 6 post on X. UnitedHealth Group employs thousands of his constituents, he wrote.
"Like other insurers, [UnitedHealthcare plays] by rules allowing the industry to net >$100 billion/year while patients go bankrupt from medical debt," Mr. Phillips wrote. "The real culprit is Congress and money in politics, and it's time for change."
Following Mr. Thompson's killing and the heightened scrutiny of the industry, insurers are tightening security around their executives.
"The insurance industry is not the most loved, to put it mildly," Stephan Meier, chair of the management division at New York City-based Columbia Business School, told The New York Times. "If you're a C-suite executive of another insurance company, I would be thinking, 'What’s this mean for me? Am I next?'"
On Dec. 5, Centene canceled its in-person investor conference, scheduled for Dec. 12, in response to the attack. The presentation will be hosted virtually on the same day, Centene said.
Medica closed its offices through Dec. 13 out of an "abundance of caution" in the wake of the shooting, the The Minnesota Star Tribune reported Dec. 6. The nonprofit regional insurer is based in Minnetonka, Minn., where UnitedHealthcare is also based.
"We considered the workplace safety of our employees in making that decision," a Medica spokesperson told the Star Tribune.
UnitedHealth Group removed information, including headshots and bios, on its executives from its website following the attack. AHIP, Elevance Health, Humana, and the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association and many of its affiliates appeared to have done the same. Some insurers, including CVS Health, Cigna and Florida Blue, opted to remove their executives' photos from their websites.