The tragic and shocking assassination of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson has left many grappling with its implications. While no act of violence is ever justifiable, the public reaction to this event — marked by an unusual degree of sympathy for the alleged killer — should give us pause. This is not simply about one man’s terrible actions. It is a window into a festering anger that cannot be ignored.
For decades, Americans have been at the mercy of a healthcare system that always puts profits before people. Stories of denied claims, astronomical out-of-pocket costs, and life-saving treatments deemed “not medically necessary” have become all too familiar. These systemic failures are not just bureaucratic inefficiencies. They are life-and-death decisions that have devastated families, driven people into bankruptcy, and, in some cases, cost lives.
Such policies, driven by profit motives, leave a deep psychological scar. They create a sense of helplessness and rage, particularly for those whose suffering has been dismissed as collateral damage in the pursuit of corporate success. The healthcare industry’s greed is not just an economic problem. It is, arguably, a crime against humanity.
The public’s reaction to this assassination should serve as a wake-up call. When people start to feel that their pain is ignored and their voices unheard, desperation can lead to dangerous outcomes. The alleged shooter, Luigi Mangione, reportedly left behind a manifesto criticizing the healthcare system. This manifesto has resonated with an unsettling number of people. Not because they condone violence, but because they recognize the systemic injustice that likely fueled it.
If this outrage remains unaddressed, we risk more acts of desperation and potentially more violence. The anger is not going away. It is growing, fed by a steady stream of stories about corporate greed, patient suffering, and a healthcare system that increasingly feels rigged against ordinary people.
The real tragedy here is that it shouldn’t take an act of violence to spur conversations about the urgent need for healthcare reform. The insurance industry must confront the role it has played in creating this anger. It must be willing to sacrifice some of its profit margins to prioritize patient care. Transparency, fairness, and empathy need to become central tenets of the industry. Not hollow buzzwords.
If these changes do not occur, the industry will continue to lose the trust of the public, and the kind of anger we’re witnessing will only grow. As a society, we cannot let this cycle of exploitation and outrage continue.
We should not romanticize or justify violence in any form, but neither should we ignore the underlying conditions that contribute to such desperate acts. The assassination of Brian Thompson is a stark reminder of what happens when a system fails its people for too long.
It’s time for a reckoning. The insurance industry must face the reality that unless it commits to meaningful reform, it will only further alienate the public and fuel a dangerous spiral of anger and resentment. What will the new administration do about this? Ignore it, or take actual action?
I’ll be watching with great interest.