Courts

The Murderer Of UnitedHealthcare's CEO Must Be Held Accountable Even If The Public Is Upset At The Industry's Shortfalls

If the killer did what he did as a form of protest, then he must be willing to accept the consequences of his actions.

By  
on
Insurance CEO Murder Suspect Luigi Mangione Is Extradicted To New York

(Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

One of the biggest real life legal dramas of the year came at the end of 2024. Specifically, the murder of Brian Thompson, CEO of UnitedHealthcare. The news triggered public complaints about the company and the healthcare system in general. People complained about claims and procedures being denied, the rising cost of insurance premiums, excessive executive compensation, and medical debt that wiped out savings and even led to bankruptcy.

A suspect, 26-year-old Luigi Mangione, has been caught and has been charged with murder and various other crimes in both state and federal courts. He has been living with back pain even after undergoing surgery. His motive could be his personal frustration with his health insurance company. But he may have done it in the hopes that it will bring changes.

Some consider him a hero for doing what they couldn’t do. On the internet, there are alibi memes, people on social media declaring “I condemn murder but….” and then explaining or justifying his action. There is even art and merchandise depicting Mangione, although someone has been aggressively using DMCA to take them down.

Because of Mangione’s sudden popularity, some have speculated that even if the evidence points to his guilt beyond a reasonable doubt, a sympathetic jury could still let him walk. This is known as jury nullification.

When this case goes to trial, both sides will probably talk about United Healthcare’s business practices and possibly the health insurance business in general, which can get very complicated.

While insurance executives and medical directors probably do not maliciously deny claims and let people die solely for profit, they have a finite amount of money and so they cannot give everyone what they want. This means they must make “trolley problem” decisions on a massive scale.

Sponsored

The health care industry is not perfect and unfortunately many people will not get the care they think is best. But does this broad problem justify one person killing someone else? It is possible that he could have instigated change through nonlethal means.

Whatever the prosecutor’s strategy is, they will have to minimize the chances of jury nullification or a hung jury. While people are understandably upset at health insurance companies like UnitedHealthcare for various reasons, letting a killer walk because they hate the system probably won’t bring the change they want.

Instead, it may make things worse. Good people with solid business ethics are less likely to take health insurance executive positions. Those who do will want exponentially higher pay to live in gated communities in addition to full-time security. If one company gives these perks, other insurance companies will take the same steps to protect their executives. Where will that money come from to cover those costs? Higher insurance premiums.

Finally, if the killer did what he did as a form of protest, then he must be willing to accept the consequences of his actions.

Brian Thompson’s tragic murder was committed by someone with severe personal issues. But some people see it as the only way to effect real change to a business model that cares more about profits at the expense of its customers. But now, there isn’t a perfect model of health care for the masses. If there was, then every country would follow it. Until that perfect model is found, insurance companies should be more responsive to their customers’ grievances. And those who kill should be held accountable.

Sponsored

Steven Chung is a tax attorney in Los Angeles, California. He helps people with basic tax planning and resolve tax disputes. He is also sympathetic to people with large student loans. He can be reached via email at [email protected]. Or you can connect with him on Twitter (@stevenchung) and connect with him on LinkedIn.

Topics

, , , , , ,