On Thursday 5 December, a masked shooter killed Brian Thompson, CEO of United Healthcare, in New York. Unsurprisingly, but to social media’s amusement, many people across the US have been discovering that condolences are very much an out-of-network benefit.
One TikTok user commented:
I’m sorry, prior authorization is required for thoughts and prayers
My personal favourite was a song written by Philip Labes:
@philiplabesAnd medical violence is always wrong, but only when it flows one way♬ original sound – Philip Labes
Brian Thompson: CEOrial killer?
During Brian Thompson’s time as CEO, United implemented AI with a 90% error rate. Obviously, they knew about it:
While under his “leadership” as CEO, UnitedHealthcare deployed an AI model with a 90% error rate—which UHC knew about!—to deny lifesaving coverage to millions of people—all of whom have families.
He was a serial killer. And he should be remembered as such. https://t.co/51Dpm4VZKk
— guillotines n’ roses (taheerah barney) 🇵🇸 (@fleshandbrand) December 5, 2024
Currently, 25% of Americans delay getting healthcare because of the ridiculous costs. Doctors could have treated many of these people quickly, and easily. Instead, some will end up dead:
Today, we mourn the death of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson, gunned down…. wait, I’m sorry – today we mourn the deaths of the 68,000 Americans who needlessly die each year so that insurance company execs like Brian Thompson can become multimillionaires.
— Prof Zenkus (@anthonyzenkus) December 4, 2024
If you mass murder people via paperwork it’s suddenly not mass murder? It’s only mass order if you personally shoot them, right? Incredible, the mega minds we share this earth with https://t.co/GnVZjkEYjB
— Roxy (@RoxyTall) December 5, 2024
Just a friendly reminder that in 2024, Brian Thompson’s leadership led United Healthcare to deny claims to 31.5 million sick Americans. By contrast, undocumented migrants in the USA killed fewer than 20 US citizens during that same time span.
Who is your real enemy, America?
— Alisa Valdes-Rodriguez, Author (@AlisaValdesRod1) December 4, 2024
Meanwhile, across the US legal teams are hitting United Healthcare for denying mental healthcare to people who need it, citing them having too many sessions as the reason. This is despite them not actually mentioning session limits in their insurance plans:
United Healthcare is in litigation all across the country for denying mental healthcare claims for people who had too many sessions per month – basically instituting quotas that don’t exist in their plans. But tell me more about who’s a terrorist https://t.co/1ndPEvTurZ
— celia (@_celia_bedelia_) December 4, 2024
Message received
In the wake of Brian Thompson’s shooting, Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield decided to halt their plans to limit reimbursements for anaesthesia during surgery and medical procedures. Clearly, someone got the message – or their eyes on a hit list:
Blue Cross Blue Shield: “if your surgery goes on longer than expected or has any complications, we’re footing you the bill for the anesthesia. Lol, get fucked.”
*United Healthcare CEO gets assassinated*
Blue Cross Blue Shield: pic.twitter.com/urlcWyTKQW
— Regular Sized Rudy (@FlowMerchant) December 6, 2024
Other insurance companies have decided to delete information about their leadership teams from their websites:
Care Source, Blue Cross Shield, Medica, CVS, Molina and more have all removed their website pages about their leadership LMAO pic.twitter.com/0Kf4SgBzIs
— chugging pilk at 2am and getting a tummy ache! (@GASLIGHTER_) December 5, 2024
Despite calls from law enforcement to try and track down the shooter, New Yorkers are not playing ball:
Got a push notification to exercise caution because the United Healthcare shooter is still at large. I personally do not feel like I am on the shooter’s radar because I am not the CEO of a highly divisive multi billion dollar insurance company.
— Samantha Ruddy (@samlymatters) December 4, 2024
With one person even suggesting a lookalike competition for the shooter, in his bedroom:
United Healthcare CEO Shooter Lookalike Contest
When: Saturday December 7
Where: My bedroom pic.twitter.com/Z2uXgZvO7a
— luca (@LucaGuadagnegro) December 5, 2024
Maybe someone should have checked the bullet wasn’t already in his head? If so, that sounds an awful lot like a pre-existing condition to me:
@chaosrat The bullet was already in Brian Thompson’s head. His head just did that. #thoughtsandpriorauths #denydeposedefend #anotheronebitesthedust ♬ original sound – ☆乁༼☯‿☯✿༽ㄏ☆ﾟ.*･｡ﾟ
just a reminder that united healthcare and other health insurers are not “healthcare” companies. they are financial services companies created to generate profits by limiting patients’ access to care.
— venturecommunist.bsky.social (@venturecommunis) December 4, 2024
Hopefully Mr Thompsons family know grief counselling isn’t considered medically necessary, or covered by their insurance plans.
In all seriousness, I, or the Canary do not condone murder, or violence of any kind.
However, it shouldn’t take someone murdering a CEO for another insurance company to reverse their shitty policy. Similarly, we are watching thousands of people die in Palestine, Sudan, and the DRC, but where are the mainstream media?
Someone shoots one CEO billionaire muppet and suddenly murder is bad and ‘help us bring a criminal to justice’. Meanwhile, you have as accused rapist heading for the presidency.
Make it make sense.
Feature image via
