# United healthcare CEO assassinated, the P&E edition {This is not a gun debate/statistics thread!} **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [December 5, 2024, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/united-healthcare-ceo-assassinated-the-p-e-edition-this-is-not-a-gun-debate-statistics-thread/1011195 "2024-12-05T13:02:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 12
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2024, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/united-healthcare-ceo-assassinated-the-p-e-edition-this-is-not-a-gun-debate-statistics-thread/1011195/221 "2024-12-08T15:33:54Z")
> [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](#): > > Surely, he wasn’t the lone decision maker, was he? He was elevated by the United Healthcare (UHC) board because he was deemed capable of delivering products that were priced such that employers would buy it and deliver solid profit margins at the same time. The UHC model that quality of service mattered less than price points to both growth and margins was something anyone they chose would have been tasked to deliver on. ---
**Author:** ![DavidNRockies](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidnrockies/32/6279_2.png) [@DavidNRockies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidNRockies)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2024, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/united-healthcare-ceo-assassinated-the-p-e-edition-this-is-not-a-gun-debate-statistics-thread/1011195/222 "2024-12-08T15:35:39Z")
> [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](#): > > But anyway, wouldn’t this man have a board he had to answer to? Surely, he wasn’t the lone decision maker, was he? “No snowflake in an avalanche ever feels responsible.” I love that line. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2024, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/united-healthcare-ceo-assassinated-the-p-e-edition-this-is-not-a-gun-debate-statistics-thread/1011195/223 "2024-12-08T15:35:59Z")
And required by the board to hit those profit margins. If he had failed in that task, he would have been replaced. That’s why others have commented that his killing will not make any difference to the way the company operates. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2024, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/united-healthcare-ceo-assassinated-the-p-e-edition-this-is-not-a-gun-debate-statistics-thread/1011195/224 "2024-12-08T15:37:21Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > A reminder of an early moderator note: Ah right. Sorry. ---
**Author:** ![Gorsnak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gorsnak/32/7587_2.png) [@Gorsnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorsnak)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2024, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/united-healthcare-ceo-assassinated-the-p-e-edition-this-is-not-a-gun-debate-statistics-thread/1011195/225 "2024-12-08T15:46:05Z")
You’re right, it’s utterly disgusting that so many people have zero empathy for the victim of this murder. How dare they assess this guy’s life, judge it on its merits, and find it to be worthless? That’s the job of a health insurance company AI reviewing claims! ---
**Author:** ![not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/not_what_you_d_expect/32/3246_2.png) [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_what_you_d_expect)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2024, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/united-healthcare-ceo-assassinated-the-p-e-edition-this-is-not-a-gun-debate-statistics-thread/1011195/226 "2024-12-08T15:56:21Z")
Well, it would be difficult to shoot AI in the back, I guess. ---
**Author:** ![Ann\_Hedonia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ann_hedonia/32/319_2.png) [@Ann\_Hedonia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ann_Hedonia)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2024, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/united-healthcare-ceo-assassinated-the-p-e-edition-this-is-not-a-gun-debate-statistics-thread/1011195/227 "2024-12-08T16:15:01Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > Republican pundits have been trying to turn this into a left-vs-right culture war issue and failing. Ben Shapiro and Matt Walsh have both put out “Radical leftists are actually cheering for violence against hardworking job creators!” type videos, and are getting slaughtered in the comments by Trump supporters universally saying “No, fuck those executives”, because the elite class wrongly assumed they could get magas to support the status quo. > > It sure would be nice if Democrats were to seize on this moment and make a call for broad reform of the insurance industry, but that would probably violate a norm or something, and we can’t have that. As I said to a family member this morning…….I think we may have found something to unify us and heal our political divisions. It’ll be short-lived, but we’re having a moment. ---
**Author:** ![not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/not_what_you_d_expect/32/3246_2.png) [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_what_you_d_expect)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2024, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/united-healthcare-ceo-assassinated-the-p-e-edition-this-is-not-a-gun-debate-statistics-thread/1011195/228 "2024-12-08T16:24:33Z")
I watch a ton of Dateline. It’s gonna be really something if it ends up being some dude his wife hired. I mean, it’s almost always the spouse when a divorce is under way. ---
**Author:** ![DavidNRockies](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidnrockies/32/6279_2.png) [@DavidNRockies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidNRockies)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2024, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/united-healthcare-ceo-assassinated-the-p-e-edition-this-is-not-a-gun-debate-statistics-thread/1011195/229 "2024-12-08T16:43:47Z")
There have been talking heads on the cable news stations who have said – at a bare minimum – investigators simply must consider the possibility that Thompson was, directly or indirectly, “responsible for his own demise.” They’ll be looking at financials, prenuptial agreements, insurance policies, etc., etc. Without the shooter and the info that – likely – only he can provide – very little can be ruled out at this time … from what the public currently knows. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2024, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/united-healthcare-ceo-assassinated-the-p-e-edition-this-is-not-a-gun-debate-statistics-thread/1011195/230 "2024-12-08T16:43:56Z")
> [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](#): > > Surely, he wasn’t the lone decision maker, was he? This is why I’m not really participating in the celebration. I get it, but I don’t share the feeling. Basically, it’s not noteworthy that the CEO of a health insurance company is a piece of shit, because by definition the CEO of a health insurance company _must_ be a piece of shit. All his murder accomplishes is a job opening for the next piece of shit in line. ---
**Author:** ![Toxgoddess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f08c70/32.png) [@Toxgoddess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Toxgoddess)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2024, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/united-healthcare-ceo-assassinated-the-p-e-edition-this-is-not-a-gun-debate-statistics-thread/1011195/231 "2024-12-08T17:02:27Z")
The shooter has made the point that being a complete piece of shit with regards to other people’s lives is not a risk-free proposition. Maybe the next piece of shit will consider a little more carefully how shiitty he should be. That is the shooter’s hoped-for outcome, anyway, if his motive is as has been speculated. ---
**Author:** ![DigitalC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@DigitalC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalC)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2024, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/united-healthcare-ceo-assassinated-the-p-e-edition-this-is-not-a-gun-debate-statistics-thread/1011195/232 "2024-12-08T19:29:24Z")
> [@Cervaise](#): > > All his murder accomplishes is a job opening for the next piece of shit in line. The next piece of shit will at least have in the back of his mind that murder is on the table. Also, I think the reaction to the murder might be just as helpful as the murder itself, the country has not been this united in a long time. ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2024, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/united-healthcare-ceo-assassinated-the-p-e-edition-this-is-not-a-gun-debate-statistics-thread/1011195/233 "2024-12-08T20:46:17Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > Durable medical equipment dealers are notorious for doing this, and being hard to catch. Yeah, DME was difficult to figure out because it was so varied and usually didn’t make up a lot of overall expense…we mostly focused on upcoding or fragmented billing (unbundling procedure sets to charge more for them). ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2024, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/united-healthcare-ceo-assassinated-the-p-e-edition-this-is-not-a-gun-debate-statistics-thread/1011195/234 "2024-12-08T20:57:31Z")
I’m now getting ads on Facebook asking me to join a class action against United if they denied my claim. The other leopards smell fresh blood and there’s face-eating to be had. ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2024, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/united-healthcare-ceo-assassinated-the-p-e-edition-this-is-not-a-gun-debate-statistics-thread/1011195/235 "2024-12-08T21:16:13Z")
> [@Toxgoddess](#): > > Maybe the next piece of shit will consider a little more carefully how shiitty he should be. Probably not: the lesson they will take is that there are crazy fuckers out there, so the solution will not be change/reform in corporate behavior, it will be “_We need more security!_” It is analgous to the fundamental flaw in criminal justice, that penalties do not encourage criminals to avoid _that_ behavior but to discover ways to avoid getting caught doing _that_ behavior. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2024, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/united-healthcare-ceo-assassinated-the-p-e-edition-this-is-not-a-gun-debate-statistics-thread/1011195/236 "2024-12-08T21:31:26Z")
The “live laugh love” Etsy moms are selling Adjuster-themed tchotchkes now. I think it’s safe to say this guy has achieved folk hero status. > **[Julia Carrie Wong (@joolia.bsky.social)](https://bsky.app/profile/joolia.bsky.social/post/3lct27wygak2g)** > > I went to a pop-up holiday market and this white lady selling hand made ceramic earrings was proudly displaying the political message left by an assassin on bullet casings after a successful murder so that’s a bit of a data point for Where Things Are [![](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:6yde3jzbwuuxqmp2ibtrbo3e/bafkreicokwmkkpn22grsewnto3jkc46k4ahnzvmw6ply4b224vzgvmpk5e@jpeg) ](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:6yde3jzbwuuxqmp2ibtrbo3e/bafkreicokwmkkpn22grsewnto3jkc46k4ahnzvmw6ply4b224vzgvmpk5e@jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2024, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/united-healthcare-ceo-assassinated-the-p-e-edition-this-is-not-a-gun-debate-statistics-thread/1011195/237 "2024-12-08T23:12:17Z")
> [@eschereal](#): > > > [@Toxgoddess](#): > > > > Maybe the next piece of shit will consider a little more carefully how shiitty he should be. > > Probably not: the lesson they will take is that there are crazy fuckers out there, so the solution will not be change/reform in corporate behavior, it will be “_We need more security!_” It is analgous to the fundamental flaw in criminal justice, that penalties do not encourage criminals to avoid _that_ behavior but to discover ways to avoid getting caught doing _that_ behavior. I agree, even though the day after the shooting Anthem suddenly announced that they had decided not to go ahead with their controversial plan to limit coverage for anesthesia. The most we can hope for is that this event might somewhat reduce the recklessness with which health insurers deny claims, but in the long run it will not and can not change the basic behaviour. The things that make people so angry about health insurers is fundamental to the way the insurance business works. There is a basic contradiction here: health insurers have been sued for claims denials that have caused adverse consequences including death, but OTOH if a health insurer fails to deny claims when it has the contractual right to do so it could rightfully be sued by the shareholders. This contradiction reflects the fact that the insurance model is fundamentally the wrong model for funding health care. Brian Thompson’s replacement spoke about how much Thompson had been admired within the company. I believe it, because he was obviously a good businessman. That was also why he was so loathed by all the unfortunate policyholders that his company screwed over. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2024, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/united-healthcare-ceo-assassinated-the-p-e-edition-this-is-not-a-gun-debate-statistics-thread/1011195/238 "2024-12-08T23:24:52Z")
Cricut (pronounced cricket) - gotta love it. ---
**Author:** ![ASL\_v2.0](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asl_v2.0/32/3525_2.png) [@ASL\_v2.0](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ASL_v2.0)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2024, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/united-healthcare-ceo-assassinated-the-p-e-edition-this-is-not-a-gun-debate-statistics-thread/1011195/239 "2024-12-08T23:28:56Z")
> [@UnitedHealthcare CEO fatally shot in Manhattan \[2024-12-04\]](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unitedhealthcare-ceo-fatally-shot-in-manhattan-2024-12-04/1011159/426): > > I just don’t think the rich will let themselves face the guillotines in the modern world. It won’t be up to them. That’s the beauty of revolutions. And the horror, too, I suppose. ---
**Author:** ![I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/i_love_me_vol.i/32/521_2.png) [@I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_Love_Me_Vol.I)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2024, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/united-healthcare-ceo-assassinated-the-p-e-edition-this-is-not-a-gun-debate-statistics-thread/1011195/240 "2024-12-08T23:50:24Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > > [@Maserschmidt](#): > > > > I don’t know any specifics about how stringent UHC is, and whether they are screwing people over > > I just realised that when you referred to UHC you were probably referring to UnitedHealth Care. > > I read it as « universal health care », hence my reply about how UHC (universal health care) works in my province. > > Sorry for any confusion. I’ve noticed this confusion for most of this thread. Maybe people could write “United” for United Health Care" and “UHC” for “Universal Health Care”. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/united-healthcare-ceo-assassinated-the-p-e-edition-this-is-not-a-gun-debate-statistics-thread/1011195.md?page=11) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/united-healthcare-ceo-assassinated-the-p-e-edition-this-is-not-a-gun-debate-statistics-thread/1011195.md?page=13)