TheassassinationofUnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompsoncast a harsh spotlight on thecontroversialpractices of the health insurance giant, which has long been accused of prioritizingprofits over patients. Thompson, who was gunned down in what was reported to be a calculated attack outside a New York City hotel on December 4, led a company notorious for its high claim-denial rate—double the industry average.His killing spurred a flood of personal stories from patients and families who say they suffered due to UnitedHealthcare’s algorithms and policies, which critics claimed often deny necessary care to the most vulnerable.As the investigation into Thompson’s death unfolds, patients and advocates alike in the US are calling attention to what they see as a broken system, with private insurers like UnitedHealthcare profiting at the expense of human lives.Image credits:Stephen Maturen/Getty ImagesImage credits:NYPDNewsThis post may includeaffiliate links.
TheassassinationofUnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompsoncast a harsh spotlight on thecontroversialpractices of the health insurance giant, which has long been accused of prioritizingprofits over patients. Thompson, who was gunned down in what was reported to be a calculated attack outside a New York City hotel on December 4, led a company notorious for its high claim-denial rate—double the industry average.
His killing spurred a flood of personal stories from patients and families who say they suffered due to UnitedHealthcare’s algorithms and policies, which critics claimed often deny necessary care to the most vulnerable.
As the investigation into Thompson’s death unfolds, patients and advocates alike in the US are calling attention to what they see as a broken system, with private insurers like UnitedHealthcare profiting at the expense of human lives.
Image credits:Stephen Maturen/Getty Images
Image credits:NYPDNews
This post may includeaffiliate links.
“My husband was diagnosed with peritoneal mesothelioma in 2010 at age 58. We had UHC through his employer.“In 2016, he was being treated at the Cancer Treatment Centers of America in Philly and was prescribed a newly available immunotherapy.“UHC denied it. We appealed. They denied it again. We had a peer-to-peer review and they still denied it.“This entire process took 3-4 months, months where he wasn’t getting any treatment at all. Finally, the hospital itself decided to cover the cost of the Medication.“So after months of haggling with UHC with no results, he got his meds. But he died 6 months later.“But wait there’s more! He had an open lawsuit with a mesothelioma lawyer and once UHC found that out, that someone else was responsible for the exposure that caused his cancer, THEY sued US in order to get back the money they spent treating him!!!“It’s a process called subrogation. They now get 10% of MY, the widow, portion of any settlement I receive.“They are EVIL. I don’t give a flying f*ck their CEO was gunned down. Get every single one for all I care. None of it will bring Jake back.” –Seawitch88
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“I hadUnited Healthcarefor years. When I went to my first chemo treatment I found out they had denied my ACTUAL CHEMOTHERAPY DRUGS - the nurse had to start me with an iron infusion while they called and fought with insurance for 2 hours.“Stage 3 cancer and they denied my chemo. The anxiety that caused me - you don’t know how hard it was to walk into that hospital and prepare mentally for chemo.“Not to mention wasting so much time for the staff. It’s absolutely criminal. Obvi I do not support what happened but how much do you think people can take?” –Megan
“My husband was diagnosed with a rare bone cancer at age 27. He had 9 months of rigorous chemo & radiation.“He was on disability. I had just graduated and put my career on hold to take care of him. He was in [a] wheelchair because the tumor broke his right femur in half.“That’s how we initially found out it was cancer; his doctor hesitated to order a simple X-ray.“He’d just learned to walk again after chemo when we got the news that Aetna wouldn’t be covering all the treatment he’d just had.“He was then declared in remission. But the relief was short-lived. $150,000 of medical debt was looming over us.“The onslaught of calls every day from debt collectors. We could hardly breathe with all theanxiety & stress.“Our lives were packed up in storage across the country because we’d moved back home to be close to family and good hospitals.“We thought we’d be moving back soon so he could go back to work, but the debt held us back. The cancer returned 2 months later.“He was a Ph.D. candidate [in] molecular genetics. He knew his odds were not good from the very beginning, but tried to soften the blow for me.“He quietly worried he would be leaving me with his insurmountable medical debt. We learned about & applied for HCAP since we were below the poverty line.“After nearly a year of waiting, we were approved on Xmas Eve while sitting in his oncologist’s office being told he had a month or 2 left.“He died 2 months later at age 28. Healthcare is a human right.” –Catherine
“I needed a Hernia operation. USA standard cost $4200-$6200, USA cost with insurance $750-$1200.“UK NHS cost which included treatment at a private hospital after a wait of 3 weeks (2 weeks between GP and specialist then 1 week between specialist and operation) and 2 weeks off paid work with full wages…£0“This is why no one shoots NHS executives.” –Jimbo271
“When my daughter, Kyla, was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor at 21 months old, we did everything possible to save her.“After chemo failed, we got her on an FDA clinical trial. [Insurance] refused to pay for it. We did fundraisers, moved across country, got senators involved…but the insurance company wouldn’t budge and spoke to me like I was garbage.“After Kyla died at 4 years old, we were over $300,000 in debt, had to claim bankruptcy, and lost our house. Deny, defend, [depose].” –Juliet Rose
“Shout out to United Health Care for attempting to fully deny my 4 week long stay in the hospital after I broke 2 hips, my foot, ankle and both wrists in a car accident 5 years ago, after their ‘expert doctors’ supposedly looked at my case and determined that after 24 hours, I simply didn’t ‘need to be there anymore.’“I couldn’t even f*****g move a muscle from the waist down and was temporarily paralyzed for like the first 2 weeks.“We went back and forth for months over a $40k bill (this was the balance left over from what my auto insurance paid), that they eventually just stopped pursuing.“This was all happening while I was trying to heal from multiple injuries. I can’t imagine what other people have gone through with them in similar, or much worse situations.“Fully believe that most insurance companies are a well-oiled scam and the people that run these companies deserve to spend a lifetime behind bars.” –u/_ladameblanche
“I had to get my gallbladder out after being in excruciating pain for six months. Had to pay $6k because it was an ‘elective’ surgery.” –Kayla
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“My son was scheduled to have surgery to correct his pectum excavatum in 2022. His surgeon said he met all the medically required criteria.“Two days before the surgery UHC denied thesurgery. This was incredibly stressful. Apparently their reasoning was that my 22-year-old son had 82% lung capacity based upon the tests due this chronic condition and they only approve patients 80% or less.“My son was don’t worry mom we’ll be ok. He is not angry he was just concerned about me.“Later that year my husband lost his job and with it UHC medical insurance. My son( student) and I got coverage through the ACA.“The next year with his new insurance, same doctor he was able to get the surgery. We are blessed.“However I still feel traumatized every time I think about the denial from UHC. There are probably lots of other people in the same boat as me.“Only a patient’s doctor should be able to make these life-altering decisions, not insurance companies.” –u/LynxChoice7539
“Even though I pay for a top-tier plan, my health insurance sent a letter to my daughter explaining that they denied a claim for a one-night stay in the hospital that literally saved her life.“Also, my daughter was 4 years old at the time. The letter was addressed to her.” –u/jimsmisc
“Literally just had my health insurance deny a prescription today. Went to the doctor, got a referral, and went to the specialist where I was given a trial run of some medication.“Went back after the trial to tell them it worked great and go to get my prescription. ‘Your insurance decided they didn’t want to pay for that.'” –u/chimichangaluva331
“Throwback to when the UnitedHealthCare (UHC) repeatedly denied a child’s wheelchair.” –u/8O8I
“A propos of nothing, UnitedHealthcare declined to cover my husband’s ambulance trip to the morgue because his insurance policy lapsed at the second of his death.“There is a technical exception because under California law a person is not deceased until they are declared dead and paramedics arrived before he had been declared dead.“I appealed to the office of the CEO. My appeal was denied. San Francisco paramedics apparently know this and so they will put the deceased person’s name spelt incorrectly on the paperwork.“I got a bill addressed to Zickity Jamjam. I was an idiot and submitted a claim to UnitedHealthcare.“As a widow who found their husband dead in my own house, I have endless sympathy for every family that confronts loss.“But let’s not be foolish and assume UnitedHealthcare extends that sympathy to its customers. I’m happy to go on the record about this experience.“May you never find yourself on the phone with theCEO of UnitedHealthcare’s office arguing over how much time it should have reasonably taken you to find your husband’s dead body in your own house over a $2000 ambulance bill.“And to prove I’m not making this up, here’s a card from the coroner’s office at the top of the stairs where I’ve left it untouched.“(Hid the name of the investigator who declared my husband dead). My mom paid the bill because I couldn’t bring myself to and UnitedHealthcare, after my appeal to the CEO’s office was denied because they claimed my husband’s insurance lapsed the second he died and they wound not cover the ambulance to the morgue, threatened me with collections.” –Data&Politics
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