Shocking CEO Murder Triggers Dark Humor Wave with Fake Insurance Denial

The recent assassination of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson outside a hotel in Manhattan on Wednesday has ignited a flurry of cynical humor alongside renewed anger at the profit-driven American healthcare system.

Following the event, UnitedHealthcare, the nation’s largest private insurance provider, became the target of satire, including a fictitious letter of coverage denial that appeared on the subreddit r/nursing in a discussion about Thompson’s death.

“We regret to inform you that your request for coverage has been denied,” the spoof letter stated. “Our records show you failed to obtain prior authorization before receiving treatment for your gunshot wound.” The Daily Beast also noted that a similar fake letter was circulated in a now-closed thread on r/medicine.

The search for Thompson’s murderer continues into its third day, with the individual responsible having shot the healthcare leader multiple times outside a Midtown Hilton hotel before escaping. The NYPD has circulated a photo of a man they want to question in relation to the murder, as reported by CNN. This image was taken at a hostel in Manhattan, law enforcement sources told CNN.

The phrases “deny,” “defend,” and “depose” were discovered written on the bullets used by the shooter, mirroring the sentiment of the book Delay, Deny, Defend, which criticizes the insurance industry’s tactics to avoid settling claims.

Moreover, the assassination has highlighted not just the dark humor but also the palpable fury toward the health insurance sector.

In the comments of Common Dreams’ article on the incident, one person commented, “I guess if you exploit people’s work and deny them healthcare to enrich yourself, you might sometimes face retaliation.” Another added, “For-profit healthcare is unethical and immoral.”

“Thoughts and deductibles to the family,” joked one commenter under a video of the incident shared by CNN, as mentioned by The New York Times. “Unfortunately, my condolences are out-of-network.”

A woman, whose mother with Stage 4 breast cancer struggled to get new treatments approved by insurance, expressed to New York magazine a brief feeling of satisfaction upon hearing of Thompson’s death.

“UnitedHealth CEO Brian Thompson was just 50 years old at his death, which is particularly tragic considering his life expectancy as a member of the top 1% was 88, or 15 years more than that of the average American male,” noted journalist Moe Tkacik on X. In an article for The American Prospect, Tkacik commented, “Around 50 million customers of America’s dominant healthcare provider might feel incentivized to seek retribution against the UnitedHealthcare CEO.”

Some observers noted that the public response to the murder should push the Democratic Party towards economic populism and away from corporate alliances.

“The widespread reaction to the healthcare CEO’s assassination serves as a reminder of the ongoing lethal class war against working Americans. If Democrats abandoned their billionaire benefactors and aligned fully with the working class, they could secure overwhelming majorities reminiscent of FDR,” stated political analyst Krystal Ball.

Charles Idelson, a former communications strategist for National Nurses United, remarked, “You don’t have to condone murder to understand why so many Americans despise health insurance companies that prioritize profits over patients by habitually finding reasons to deny necessary care.”

“This isn’t exclusive to UnitedHealth,” he concluded.