On December 4, a shocking attack on a healthcare CEO made major news, but a large portion of online commentators seemed to be more sympathetic to the crime because of health care issues that they had experienced.
Luigi Mangione, a 26 year old Ivy League college graduate, was arrested on December 9, just five days after the murder of United Healthcare’s chief executive, Brian Thompson. Although he pleaded not guilty, there is evidence of his guilt that has been found. His motive for the crime is under speculation, with claims ranging from a grudge against health insurers to a surfing injury. Authorities claim he possessed a manifesto criticizing the healthcare industry, and bullet casings with cryptic messages suggest anti-insurance sentiments.
History teacher David Bishline believes there are many issues at play with how people have responded to this event.
“Killing is never understandable because that’s a vigilante aspect. Everyone wants to be Batman, but you can’t be going around killing people,” Bishline said. “I think it’s understandable why people would kind of understand that idea, because a lot of people have been turned down, and insurance companies are kind of looked upon as the bad guy. Understandably, a lot of them are not.”
Throughout history, people have faced many issues with American healthcare. Bishline believes that the reasoning for this is because in this country, everything is financially motivated, even potentially life-saving practices.
“It’s a business, health insurance is a business. And that’s part of the problem, that it’s a business to them, and it’s your life to you and to your family,” Bishline said. “And so when something goes wrong, there are a lot of people to blame, and the insurance companies become the bad guys.”
Students who attend Ritenour have had many problems with the way the system is set up, even with what can be seen as a younger age. Sophomore Joshuaa Wuest said that he was continuously put onto waitlists for his wrestling injuries, and he has gotten insights from family members who are in the medical industry.
“My mom was a nurse, and she experienced how they treated patients firsthand. How they just pushed some aside when they’re not important,” Wuest said.
Health care insurance has historically been tied to employment, but now layoffs can jeopardize access to healthcare. The system often delays or denies high-quality care to those most in need who cannot afford it, contributing to healthcare disparities for people of color and disadvantaged groups. The health insurers may discourage care to hold down costs by restricting expensive medications and tests, leading to shortsighted decisions.
Junior Corey Garrett is proof of this. He says he struggled a lot with his foot, and that it had gotten worse due to baseball. When he tried to get help for it they gave him painkillers and brushed him off, leaving him to deal with the injury on his own and barely checking his injuries.
According to a report from the Kaiser Family Foundation, at least half of the individuals with major types of health insurance (employer-provided, Medicare, Medicaid, or from the ACA marketplace) reported problems using their coverage in the past year. Their issues ranged from not getting an appointment with a physician covered by their plan, to discovering their medications are not covered. 15% of those who reported insurance problems said their health declined as a result, and over 25% said they had to pay more for their care. About half of consumers said they don’t understand some aspect of their coverage, including about 33% who don’t understand what costs their plan covers or what they will owe.
Health care simplification could address patient frustration and barriers to accessible and affordable care. Existing regulatory structures require clear benefits, explanations, accurate clinician directories, and appeal rights. However, effective enforcement and support for consumers, particularly those with serious health conditions, are missing.
“There’s a lot of money. When you’re talking trillions of dollars, it’s hard to change that,” Bishline said.