Wait, why are we all assuming that UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was shot by someone denied coverage

[ck4829]

or a relative of someone denied coverage?

I guess I'll be the first to suggest that he...

* Brought all the shareholders to a meeting, sat them all down, and showed them this story titled 'Anthem Insurance issues new edict to cap anesthesia coverage at a time limit', and he could have said "Now this is some bull right here, we will NEVER participate in such dystopian nonsense as this", nothing was stopping his brain from doing that, and that would have definitely ticked off shareholders and Anthem as well. Could have hypothetically happened.

* Said that in a call that the idea of "menstrual surveillance" was absolutely asinine and that he would have devoted UHC resources to a legal fund protecting the medical and insurance records that will fight to protect every file from being ogled over by prosecutors looking to investigate miscarriages. That would have also made shareholders absolutely angry if he planned on doing just that. It could have happened, right?

* Shared this report with his department in research titled 'Goldman Sachs asks in biotech research report: ‘Is curing patients a sustainable business model?'' and said "WHOA! This is unconscionable, guys! This is not only out of some evil nightmare, this flies in the face of what insurance should be about! Let's start supporting ways to get rid of diseases once and for all!" I'm sure Goldman Sachs could afford a hitman.

* Summoned up all the other health insurance CEOs and administrators in hospitals and said "Hey, hey, hey... did you know that the United State spends more on healthcare than every other western/global north country and yet does not have the life expectancy to go with that? Just look at this! This is not acceptable, my dudes! "World's greatest healthcare system" HAS to mean something! And if it doesn't change, and change soon, then I am going to start naming names to the public! Patients have to start coming first, this is unacceptable!" Nothing was stopping his brain from forming those words. And those words and promises for action might have caused someone else in the healthcare field to send someone after him. Could have happened.

I might also be a Kryptonian, but one of these examples of him doing the right and decent thing could have totally happened and that is what led to his death. So it seems a little hasty to assume it was someone denied coverage or a relative of someone denied coverage.

[hlthe2b]

1. It is not clear. That said, his wife reported his receiving threats.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

17. Then she was totally in on it.

Only half joking.

People who do hits like this don’t threaten.

I was leaning toward the people who sold $65 million in stock and might be implicated in the insider trading he was being investigated for.

[hlthe2b]

25. Maybe. I see it as being a highly upset insured member who may have been denied for a family member

for a serious and fatal condition. Not just in the movies, this kind of burning resentment can be a major motivator--especially if the stats on their claim refusal rates being mentioned are true.

Obviously, we may both be wrong. But hopefully, it gets solved soon. If you are right, expect a Dateline episode coming our way.

[sop]

26. The shooting will inspire a Law & Order episode.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

38. Looks like they have a pretty good photo of his eyes. (He looks like my old neighbor)

He rode a rental bike into Central Park? No gloves? They are likely going to have his dna.

[LeftInTX]

35. Of course he would. But that doesn't mean much. People like that often receive threats and most are not acted upon.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

2. Look at these denial stats

Link to tweet

[ck4829]

12. Yes, I am aware of that.

I don't actually believe he did anything close to what he did I put in the OP

[lostnfound]

40. Subtlety and irony just flew right by a lot of people, apparently. Nt

[malaise]

3. Could have been someone closer to home

Last edited Wed Dec 4, 2024, 05:44 PM - Edit history (1)

but I won’t rule out an insurance connection.

[Henry203]

4. I think it had to do

With the DOJ investigation on insider trading.

[yardwork]

5. I don't think anyone is assuming anything.

[bucolic_frolic]

6. It's NY. Maybe someone wanted the stock to go down. /nt

[biophile]

7. Of course those could have happened

Angry ex-wife, illegitimate child denied recognition- many things are possible but people will generally gravitate toward the most likely scenario or explanation. People look at possibilities and probabilities and it may not be automatic assumption of truth but just recognizing the most likely reason.

[EdmondDantes_]

32. Given the statistics on who murders and why, the most likely isn't that he was killed for his work as the CEO

How many people each year are killed in romantic issues or family issues compared to how many CEOs are murdered as a direct result of their job? Seems more likely that it's a case of people assuming it's the reason they want it to be and saying that. We will find out soon enough based on the actuality.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

8. it's best to label things as satire on this site honestly

[Cirsium]

20. Laughing here

It is hard to believe that people did not understand that OP, but I guess that is the case. Labeling that post as satire would have reduced its effectiveness.

[Whiskeytide]

36. I still believe a "satire" or "sarcasm" label is ...

… an affront to satire and sarcasm. People running down rabbit holes by failing to recognize it is a large part of the reward for the effort.

[Voltaire2]

9. A simpler explanation is preferred, all other factors being equal. nt.

[Dennis Donovan]

10. Whoever the assassin is, it was done pretty cleanly for an amateur

It was someone under control, not apparently distressed.

[Whiskeytide]

37. Someone else here posted a couple of hours ago that ...

… the shooter dropped unused ammunition rounds and also dropped a water bottle he was on video purchasing nearby (suggesting they have unmasked video, perhaps?). And maybe fingerprints?

I don’t know if all that that’s true. But if it is, this looks a lot less like a professional hit and more like someone who was simply able to get close enough to shoot him in the chest.

[sop]

11. The video shows the shooter using a suppressor (aka silencer) on the pistol.

Very few gun owners have them, they require a lot of paperwork to acquire, and you can't get a suppressor in NYC.

Don't know what it says about the shooter's motive, but it tells me he wasn't a typical or casual gun owner, and probably not from NYC.

[Silent Type]

18. Yet, apparently he had rack the pistol for each shot. A professional would own a better pistol, I'd think.

[sarisataka]

21. Subsonic rounds often do not have enough power

to properly cycle a pistol, so it must be worked manually. Those type rounds with a silencer would start to approach what Hollywood gives the impression silenced weapons sound like.

[sop]

23. After the first shot the shooter didn't pull the slide back, it looked like the gun jammed and didn't fully chamber

the next round, forcing him to push the slide forward. After the second shot the pistol again failed to chamber the next round, and you can see him, with his back turned to the camera, trying to clear the jam. Definitely not a quality firearm.

[Silent Type]

24. Yeah. Not sure about going rate for an assassination is nowadays, but he should have added

in enough for a better pistol.

[orangecrush]

30. Sounds like a pro

[Sneederbunk]

13. Must create a narrative and stick with it regardless the facts.

[Think. Again.]

19. There are facts already?

[Klarkashton]

14. It appears to be a professional hit. But who knows at

This point. Time will either tell or not.

[obamanut2012]

15. I agree, that looked professional

[magicarpet]

16. Because the scumbag promised to provide medical insurance coverage,...

.... then cheated the customers of his company out of this coverage.

If done to thousands of sick patients and their families it is not far fetched one of them would lashout and target him in retribution for the damages, pain, and suffering he caused.

[Cirsium]

22. Recommended

The OP is making an extremely important point.

[Bo Zarts]

27. Like JFK's plans to pull US troops out of Vietnam?

[Grins]

28. OK. But where do you think police will start to look for the shooter?

Certainly in the top three….

[Xolodno]

29. We won't know anything until they catch the guy and that's an IF they catch him.

He obviously planned this:

1. Jumped on a CITI Bike to get away quickly.

2. Pre-planned route.

3. Masked his identity.

4. Probably changed somewhere, hence the back pack. May find it later, but not with him.

Apparently the bikes have GPS, they'll find it, just not him on it. Could have also used a load and go Visa card and paid cash at some store. I bet the phone they found was a burner as well. Most likely ditched the gun in a body of water.

I found it ironic he went to NY Sinai, a hospital group he ditched last year out of UHC.

Motives? Too many right now. Could be a disgruntled relative of a patient, disgruntled employee, disgruntled contractor or perhaps his life wasn't so squeaky clean. Police are going to have to look at everything.

[sop]

33. They never caught the individual who planted pipe bombs in DC the night before January 6.

CBS - "The individual who investigators say left two pipe bombs outside the headquarters of the Democratic and Republican parties in Washington, D.C., the night before the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack is still on the loose, and the FBI is offering a $500,000 reward for information that leads to the arrest of the person responsible."

[hunter]

41. They won't catch him, he's a time traveler. I recognize the kit.

The universe where Thompson takes over the entire U.S. healthcare system, commonly known as "TrumpCare" and it's Soylent Green style euthenasia centers, has been denied.

[Mike 03]

31. For the record, I absolutely am not assuming that. NT

[nitpicked]

34. I thought it might have been a disgruntled shareholder

But when I checked, the stock was up for the year.

[BlueTsunami2018]

39. It's merely a possibility.

It could be his wife, an angry husband, a jilted lover, some random whack job, a bookie he stiffed, someone he bullied in high school, someone who wants his job……

The possibilities are endless.