Are Americans Really Celebrating the Murder of A Health Insurance CEO?

Melissa D. Hall

On December 4th, Americans woke up to a shocking headline: UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson had been assassinated on the streets of Manhattan, gunned down by a masked shooter en route to a year-end investors’ meeting. The murder of such a prominent corporate leader should have been met with an outpouring of sympathy for his family, right? Outrage over such a brazen act? Surprisingly, no. Instead, the reaction from the public has been something entirely different, something darker.

Instead of mourning Thompson's death and reflecting on his legacy as a father, a friend, and a top executive, the conversation turned in an unsettling direction. Many people are cheering. Online comments liken the alleged killer, a 26-year-old Ivy League graduate, to a modern-day Robin Hood. Some even brand him a hero for the American people. “John Wick had to make things right,” one person commented on Instagram. Another remarked, “Looks like his life was denied, and sympathy is out of network,” a chilling mockery of UnitedHealthcare's reputation for denying claims.

This outpouring of twisted support for an alleged killer reflects something much deeper than just anger over one man’s death—it’s a symptom of a severely broken system. Americans are fed up with the state of healthcare. They’re tired of being denied life-saving treatments, leaving loved ones to suffer. And while no rational person condones murder, this tragedy has put an intense spotlight on the frustrations many Americans have with a healthcare industry that seems to prioritize profit over people. UnitedHealthcare, under Thompson’s leadership, has been scrutinized for denying a staggering 35% of claims. Many feel that, in death, Thompson has come to represent everything that is wrong with the American healthcare system: corporate greed, callous decision-making, and indifference to human suffering.

But should this rage be directed at a single individual, or should it be focused on the system that allows and even incentivizes denials in the first place? And is there an alternative?

It’s worth exploring alternatives to our current healthcare system. Socialized medicine, for example, is hailed as the solution by many who are fed up with privatized healthcare.

In countries like Japan, Canada, and Israel, where healthcare is guaranteed for all, profit is removed from the equation. Patients don’t have to worry about insurance companies denying their treatments because it’s all covered by the government. These countries rank higher in healthcare quality, though critics often point to longer wait times for care, especially during emergencies like the COVID-19 pandemic, when Canadian citizens had to come to the U.S. for vaccines due to shortages in their own country.

Introducing socialized medicine in the U.S. would come with a significant f inancial burden. A 2023 Gallup poll shows that while 57% of Americans believe the government should provide healthcare for everyone, the question remains: are they ready for the cost?