For a 3rd day, police looked for the suspect in what they’re calling a “brazen, targeted,” and “premeditated” assault on UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, who was gunned down early Wednesday morning outdoors his midtown Manhattan lodge.
Whereas there is no such thing as a recognized motive but, police are investigating whether or not anger at UnitedHealth and the insurance coverage business could possibly be at play. Because of the private nature of the assault on Thompson, a variety of healthcare insurance coverage firms are eradicating the names, data, and images of their management from their web sites, 404 Media reported.
These firms embrace: UnitedHealth Group, Anthem Blue Cross Blue Protect, Humana, and Aetna.
Pharmacy chain CVS has additionally eliminated details about its management from its web site.
UnitedHealthcare’s mum or dad firm UnitedHealth Group removed photos of its top executives from its web site hours after the taking pictures, and later eliminated their names and biographies, according to the Associated Press.
Anthem Blue Cross Blue Protect reportedly redirected its leadership page to a basic “about us” web page on its web site after strolling again a coverage that might cost sufferers for anesthesia throughout procedures that went longer than estimated.
Humana additionally eliminated its CEO web page and details about its board of administrators, whereas Aetna eliminated its management web page. CVS pulled images of its executives (Aetna has partnered with CVS Well being to supply entry to a nationwide community of major care docs, specialists, hospitals, and reductions in retailer). Park Nicollet Well being Service additionally removed a photo and information about Thompson’s wife, Paulette.
The AP additionally reported Medica, a nonprofit healthcare agency, briefly closed its Minnesota places of work for safety causes on Friday “out of an abundance of warning,” whereas nonprofit medical insurance group Caresource took down individual executive leadership pages.
On the identical time, many firms are beefing up their safety. (Thompson reportedly didn’t have a safety element when he was shot.)
“Chief safety officers across the globe are taking a look at their government safety applications, both on their very own, or by CEOs and their boards . . . ensuring that they’ve the suitable assets . . . to establish potential conditions like this,” Dave Komendat, president of DSKomendat Danger Administration, told ABC News. He added that safety officers at dozens of Fortune 500 firms held a video name to debate boosting safety for executives after the taking pictures.
However critics say executives are lacking the purpose. The incident has shed a highlight on many People’ mistrust and frustration with healthcare insurers and the nation’s more and more costly healthcare system.
UnitedHealthcare, one of many largest well being insurers within the U.S., overlaying greater than 50 million individuals, has been heavily criticized for denying sufferers’ claims, delaying reimbursements, and defending their refusal to cowl medical remedies and procedures deemed essential by docs and hospitals, significantly for the elderly. In the previous couple of days, individuals have used social media to vent their anger over these and different enterprise practices, aiming it at UnitedHealth, Thompson, and the system at massive.
Final 12 months, UnitedHealth Group reported $371.6 billion in revenue and was slapped with an antitrust lawsuit to dam a $3.3 billion acquisition of a rival house well being and hospice service, in line with National Public Radio.