The shooting death of top UnitedHealthcare executive Brian Thompson on a Manhattan sidewalk on Wednesday has sparked outrage from patients and others who say they had a negative experience with the health insurance company during one of the most difficult times in their lives. It caused a storm of joy.
It's unclear what the motive for the incident was or whether it was related to Thompson's work in the insurance industry. Police have not yet identified the perpetrator, who is on the run.
But that didn't stop social media commenters from jumping to conclusions and showing a blatant lack of sympathy for the husband and father of two children's death.
A comment below a video of the shooting posted online by CNN read: “Thoughts for the family and deductible.” “Unfortunately, I cannot express my condolences.”
On TikTok, one user wrote: “I'm an ER nurse, and I've seen dying patients not covered by insurance, so I'm feeling sick. When I think about the patient and all his family, I feel sorry for him.” You can't.
The sombre comments following the death of Mr. Thompson, 50, an insurance executive from Maple Grove, Minn., underscored anger and frustration at the state of health care in the United States, where people with private insurance often find themselves in Kafka-like situations. Similar issues arise when seeking reimbursement for treatment costs and are often denied.
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