Moderators delete Reddit thread as doctors torch dead UnitedHealthcare CEO
Moderators delete Reddit thread as doctors torch dead UnitedHealthcare CEO
“When other’s human lives are deemed worthless, it is not surprising to have others view your life of no value as well,” wrote one medical doctor, whose identity the Daily Beast confirmed.
Summary
Reddit’s r/medicine moderators deleted a thread where doctors and users harshly criticized murdered UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
Comments, including satirical rejections of insurance claims for gunshot wounds, targeted UHC’s reputation for denying care to boost profits.
Despite the removal, similar discussions continue, with medical professionals condemning UHC’s business practices under Thompson’s leadership, which a Senate report recently criticized for denying post-acute care.
Thompson, shot in what appears to be a targeted attack, led a company notorious for its high claim denial rates, fueling ongoing debates about corporate ethics in healthcare.
It's kinda hilarious watching billionaire owned media try to suppress the fact that absolutely no one feels bad for the CEO. The same thing happened when some billionaires decided to visit the Titanic, and after the Trump assassination attempt. The memes afterwards were top notch
Everyone is so fed up with this country and the shit is this close 🤏🏼 to the fan
One medical doctor, whose identity the Daily Beast confirmed, commented with sympathy for Thompson’s family and said the killer should be charged with murder, but then wondered about the damage the CEO had done.
“I cannot even guess how many person-years UHC has taken from patients and their families through denials,” they wrote. “It has to be on the order of millions. His death won’t make that better, but it’s hard for me to sympathize when so many people have suffered because of his company.”
“What has bothered me the most is people that put «fiduciary responsibility» (eg profits) above human lives, none more so than this company as run by him," wrote another medical doctor, who also spoke to the Daily Beast to confirm their identity. “When other’s human lives are deemed worthless, it is not surprising to have others view your life of no value as well.”
These doctors know what's up.
I have been following the news about Brian Thompson's assassination in New York, and I am astounded by the flood of sympathy the media has poured out for him. Why? This man spent his entire career working tirelessly to deny healthcare to millions of Americans, all in the name of lining his own pockets and enriching shareholders. Yet the media praises him for his "kindness" and "generosity." Let me be clear: pushing your company's claim denial rate to nearly double that of your most cold-hearted competitors, bankrupting families through deceptive fine print and delay tactics, is not kindness, and it is not generosity. No, setting up boiler-room style offices with denial scoreboards is one of the most inhuman things I can imagine.
I spent nearly a decade writing software to help hospital systems fight insurance claim denials, and I can tell you, these insurers are getting better at it every year. They deny even the most justified claims, banking on the fact that most people won't have the energy, resources, or will to fight back. And for the majority, they’re right. We had a team of a dozen nurses and PAs working alongside twice as many analysts. These were people who knew the system inside and out. We knew the deadlines, the bureaucratic jargon, the documentation required, and we tracked every claim meticulously. But even armed with all that knowledge and experience, we couldn’t win them all. On a good month, we might win two-thirds of the denials. That was considered a success.
What’s even worse is that for every claim we fought, there were countless others that never even made it that far, we only got denials on services that actually happened. A patient’s doctor tells them they need surgery, but an insurer like UnitedHealth says no and that’s it. The patient gives up and it is difficult to imagine they get better.
If you've ever had a serious medical condition—and I pray you haven't—you know how much it drains you, how it strips you of your will to do anything. When every moment is agony, you don’t have the strength to sit on hold for hours, fill out endless forms, or chase down a bureaucratic system designed to wear you down. All you want is to sleep, because that's the only place that pain can't find you. How many people have simply lacked the strength to fight back, and ultimately succumbed to their conditions? How many families have been driven into poverty, their lives torn apart by a single emergency, all because of these executives’ policies?
We all know someone who has been through a health insurance nightmare and we also know that while political changes could probably help this problem the reality now is that these people are making a choice to run their companies this way, knowing full well the impact of their greed and indifference.
Where are your tears, your headlines, for the thousands of people and families whose lives have been destroyed and whose loved ones have died because of these same executives?
From a mod of /r/medicine:
People - Please don't make the life of your mods a living hell.
Anything that is celebrating violence is going to get taken down - if not from us, then from reddit. I think all the mods understand that there is a high level of frustration and antipathy towards insurance and insurance execs, but we also understand that murdering people in the streets is not good.
We are a public group of medical professionals, we still need to act like that.
And on a practical note, this man did not create or control the fucked up insurance industry by himself. Other people will take his place and continue to do what he was doing. It's a systemic issue.
Death is always tragic.... I don't care if the guy is a billionaire or not, he or she had family.
I would however agree that having such wealth is clearly perverse and clearly done at the expense of others. You don't get that rich by being kind hearted and generous....
In any case, if you become CEO of a business that has sloppy morals and essentially encourage parasitic behavior.... Don't expect to be loved... Or surprised that you may get shot....
It's like being the CEO of Blackwater.... No one that has clean hands takes that position....
No one becomes a CEO by accident, it was a choice and ambition to become that level of scum...
Now imagine if companies could only give a maximum of around 2000$
I wonder how that would change the landscape of American politics
I made a large collection of screenshots from Facebook of people who had their claims denied by United Healthcare today if you want to really see how bad it is.
That's gonna Streisand Effect like crazy.
Lemmy seems to have done the same. At least .world, I dunno about other instances, but I'm looking for a new community.
Addressed to an unnamed applicant—following “a careful review of the claim submitted for emergency services on December 4, 2024″—it informs them they are being rejected for coverage because “you failed to obtain prior authorization before seeking care for the gunshot wound to your chest.” “If you would like to appeal the fatal gunshot, please call 1-800-555-1234 with case # 123456789P to initiate a peer to peer within 48 hours of the fatal gun shot,” wrote one user.
Does this sound LLM generated to anyone else? I mean I've seen other LLM generated articles summarizing top Reddit posts, and this reads a lot like that.
Deemed unprofitable...
Fuck Reddit and the life is cheap US healthcare system.
Is it hypocritical that the "suits" in the LinkedIn posts using the "laugh" emoji are probably some of the same ones making decisions as to which minimum of health care they can get by with to least impact the bottom line of their company? How much cost should be pushed to the employee? The ones that fire an ill employee for missing too much work?
Even if they do manage to catch the guy that did it, good luck finding a jury that'll convict him.
Life is short and filled with potential that sometimes met and other times robbed.
Having lost many members of my family, I don't wish it on others.
Edit--------
So I would suggest that anyone actually learn to read what is written. It's like taking to 5 year old that jump to conclusions..... Seriously people, I don't care about this Billionaire, I won't be someone who will sya that murder is good and let's purge all rich people. That is not constructive and I value life, not death. So many of you suffered from health insurance but when you come to vote you vote like most Americans do, not in my backyard. I don't want socialism, governments not coming to take my money or guns....
No offence but private health care didn't happen over night. You live in one of the greatest democratic institutions but simy chose not to use your tools. That is why corruption runs amok, none of you want to stand up and unite yourself with other Americans because you are all so bloody individualist. All other countries with universal healthcare didn't just get it by miracle, it was work and commitment to the greater good which means not getting into hissy fights for every little thing.
How about listening to George Carlin to. Illuminate your minds... Seriously America, everyone in the world has been telling you that you have a problem, stop gaslighting us.
I find some comments here disturbing. The man may have been not the best example of ethical behavior, but he is still a murder victim with a family who will no doubt miss him. No one deserves to be shot in the back on a city street. If that was true, it's not long until your number comes up.
The internet is full of false bravado, and few morals.
Pussies.
Good choice by the mods to lock that first thread.
Well to be fair when someone speaks in such a polite manner I tend to assume the worst of them.
As a French Canadian I do not support capitalism in its current form. I think we need to abandon our capitalist roots and create a new hybrid system which makes it more balanced but also, I would say I am. Living in a country where corporations don't have as much power. You are right, I am not an American so I haven't live what you have however I know that it's current system is bull.
As a personal note I have always supported Bernie Sanders however there is a huge portion of Americans who chose to close their eyes one hat is going on. I tend to follow the George Carlin philosophy to doubt my leaders good intentions while also taking personal responsibilities for the leader we have.
It's very easy to say that politics is shit but hard to actual do something about it.
How many time has Senator Sanders been rejected and yet he still comes back and I respect him for that, always will be user he is the type of leader America needs if the democratic party wasn't as broken.... I don't care for the republicans either as they have become a religious cult......
Anyway, sorry if I became personal, it was not justified. All the best to you and your family. Quebec and Vermont have always shared similar vakurdt
Meddit is pretty high quality so it doesn't surprise me. They don't like too much shit posting by people without flair.
And yet, for someone who is so enlightened you lash out and name call me instead of actually debating with me.
That is on you, I did not personally attack you until you did.
That is as far as I well go on this discussion.
Best of luck
Lol of I was with that CEO in the trolley I would have probably pushed him off a long time ago, sticks or not....
I do believe that billionaires are evidence of abuse to the extreme.
I do not see the difference between a billionaire and a slave owner because in actuality as most people have said previously, they have gained their wealth through the suffering of others.
I wish the government would tax them for at least a fifth of there salary considering no one needs a billion dollar to live, it's pure fantasy
