Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
CEO Was Aware Of UnitedHealthcare's PR Problem Before Shooting
The Washington Post: Brian Thompson Warned Of UnitedHealth’s Negative Image Before Shooting
In early 2024, UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson had an urgent warning for his colleagues: The company has a public relations problem. Average Americans didn’t understand the massive insurance company’s role in the nation’s health system, Thompson argued in internal discussions and with fellow executives, including steps it had taken to eliminate out-of-pocket costs for lifesaving drugs, colleagues said. Instead, UnitedHealthcare and its parent, UnitedHealth Group, faced investigations, a congressional probe and simmering consumer anger over charges it was making billions by denying health care to the ill and the elderly. (Gowen, Diamond and Torbati, 12/15)
The Guardian: UnitedHealth Chief Admits US Health System ‘Does Not Work As Well As It Should’
The leader of the parent company of UnitedHealthcare, whose chief executive officer was shot to death outside a New York City hotel on 4 December, conceded that the US’s patchwork health system “does not work as well as it should”. But in a guest essay published by the New York Times, UnitedHealth Group’s CEO, Andrew Witty, maintained the slain Brian Thompson cared about customers and was working to make the system better. (12/14)
The New Republic: UnitedHealth CEO Sparks Uproar After New York Times Op-Ed
Critics are torching a New York Times op-ed Friday by the chief of UnitedHealthcare’s parent company, arguing that the $23.5 million-salaried executive’s message overwhelmingly ignored the failures actively perpetuated by his company in the American health care system. (Houghtaling, 12/13)
The Hill: Democrats Pessimistic On Health Insurance Reform Despite Public Anger
Democrats are pessimistic that Congress will enact new rules around the health insurance industry, even as they try to appear responsive to growing calls for reform following the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. Luigi Mangione faces murder charges for the killing of Thompson on December 4. His death unleashed a torrent of anger on social media against the U.S. health system, and insurance companies specifically. Sen. Rafael Warnock (D-Ga.) said the incident was a “flash point,” but he wasn’t sure how much impact it would have in spurring any changes. (Weixel, 12/15)
AP: Online Posts Show That Luigi Mangione Had Back Pain And Brain Fog
After Luigi Mangione made the difficult decision to undergo spinal surgery last year for chronic back pain, he became a proponent of the procedure that changed his life for the better. He repeatedly posted on Reddit about his recovery and offered words of encouragement for people with similar conditions, telling them to push back against doctors who suggested they had to live with pain. (Skene and Kelleher, 12/12)
In related news about gun violence —
Stateline: Judges Topple Gun Restrictions As Courts Chart An Uncertain Path Forward
More than two years after the U.S. Supreme Court fundamentally expanded its interpretation of the Second Amendment, federal courts throughout the country continue to strike down state restrictions on gun ownership. Since the high court’s 2022 decision — in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association Inc. v. Bruen — that firearm regulations must have some historical comparison going back to the country’s founding, some state restrictions have been ruled unconstitutional. But lower courts are still figuring out the limits of that historical test and have not yet come to a broad agreement on key gun-related laws (Vasilogambros, 12/13)
