Police Investigate if UnitedHealthcare CEO Murder was Related to Policy Denials

Manhattan, NY (WorkersCompensation.com) – Evidence at the scene of UnitedHealthcare CEO’s Brian Thompson’s murder has led to a wellspring of social media posts … against insurers.

On Thursday, authorities with the New York Police Department told CNN and other media outlets that shell casings from the shooting included words common to the insurance industry – a spent casing recovered from the scene had the word “depose” on it, while a live round ejected when the shooter cleared a jam in the gun had the word “delay” on it. Police said they are exploring whether the words are indicative of a motive, pointing to the insurance industry phrase: “delay, deny, defend.”

Thompson was killed Wednesday as he was heading into the Residence’s Hilton Club on W. 54th Street, in midtown Manhattan. Officials said a gunman waited for him, then approached him from behind, fired one shot, cleared a jam in his gun, then fired two more shots. The gunman fled the scene on a Citi Bike. Thompson was taken to a nearby hospital where he died.

Officials said the shooting was a targeted attack on Thompson and that the gunman appeared to be very proficient at handling guns. Police said on Thursday they are looking at surveillance videos from the area, as well as looking into a nearby hostel they suspect the gunman may have stayed at.

Online on Thursday, as news of the words on the bullets spread, sympathy for Thompson disappeared.

Comments on LinkedIn showed the level of frustration some users felt about insurance claim denials.

“I have stage 4 metastatic lung cancer. We’ve just left UHC because of all the denials for my meds. Every month there is a different reason for the denial. As of today, we are well over our max out of pocket for the year with having spent well over $20,000,” Lisa Galeski wrote in response to a previous post from Thompson about making healthcare more affordable.

Others on social media platforms were less kind.

“Thoughts and prayers requested… denied,” Amy Sherman said in a Facebook post.

On BlueSky, users said they weren’t surprised by the shooting.

“When I heard about the shooting my immediate thought was the shooter lost a family member due to UnitedHealth denying a claim,” wrote Laura3dogs. “I have no doubt now.”

On X, "Ms. Millicent," a disability advocate, wrote, “Brian Thompson, the CEO of UnitedHealthcare who stole about $70k a year off me back in the states and rejected like half of my freaking claims, has thankfully died... Hopefully some more scummy medical insurance CEOs are next!”

And on TikTok, users offered their views on news stories about Thompson’s death.

“Was his trip to the ER really emergent?” user "Oh No, The Leopards" wrote. “According to his own company, my husband’s heart attack wasn’t an actual emergency and we were out $3k (full deductible.”

UnitedHealthcare has received threats against Thompson in the past, NBC reported.

Thompson’s wife, Paulette Thompson, told the network that he had received threats, suggesting they were related to potential insurance denials.

"Basically, I don’t know, a lack of coverage? I don’t know details,” she said in a phone call with NBC. “I just know that he said there were some people that had been threatening him."

The company has come under scrutiny throughout this year.

In July, a group of more than 150 protestors gathered outside of UnitedHealth Group Inc.’s Minnetonka, Minn. headquarters to protect the number of claims the health insurer had denied. Insurance companies have come under fire from the insured recently due to their lack of transparency regarding denial rates. That protest by the People’s Action Institute, led to the arrest of 11 people.

“UnitedHealth Group’s profiteering by denying care is a disgrace, leaving people across Minnesota and all of the United States without the care they desperately need,” they wrote in a letter to UnitedHealth CEO Andrew Witty in April.

At the time, UnitedHealth said in a statement that its executives had met with the protestors and “resolved the member-specific concerns raised by this group and remain open to a constructive dialogue about ensuring access to high-quality, affordable care.”

The company is also under investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice for potential antitrust violations. And a cyberattack earlier this year against UnitedHealth subsidiary Change Healthcare disrupted billions of dollars in payments.

NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said the motive is not clear at this time, but that they are looking into all aspects of the case.

“We’re looking into everything,” Kenny said. “We’re looking at his social media, we’re interviewing employees, we’re interviewing family members, we will be speaking to law enforcement in Minnesota.”

Thompson was killed as he was heading into the Residence’s Hilton Club on W. 54th Street, in midtown Manhattan. Officials said the gunman waited for him, then approached him from behind, fired one shot, cleared a jam in his gun, then fired two more shots. The gunman fled the scene on a Citi Bike.

Officials said the shooting was a targeted attack. Police said they are looking at surveillance videos from the area, as well as looking into a nearby hostel they suspect the gunman may have stayed at.

So far, law enforcement has recovered a burner phone, a water bottle in addition to the shell casings. Police have determined the water bottle may be the same one the assailant purchased from a nearby Starbucks about a half hour before the shooting. Investigators believe the phone may have been dropped by the suspect when he fled the scene.

While police were able to lift a fingerprint off the water bottle, it could be less conclusive due to being smudged, officials said. Investigators said the phone could yield fingerprints and DNA, as well as other clues to the shooters identity if technicians are able to unlock the phone.

The shooting came as a shock to investors gathered to hear from Thompson during a corporate meeting.

The shooting took place as UnitedHealthcare’s Investor Day was about to begin. Around 8:30 am., Chief Executive Officer Andrew Witty welcomed the crowd in the hotel conference room with opening remarks on problem solving and delivering on investor expectations.

“We're committed to making sure that we're always playing chess and never playing checkers,” he said.

Shortly before 9 a.m., headlines about Thompson’s shooting began to spread through the room as news alerts hit attendees phones.

By about 9:10 a.m., after waiting for Optum CEO Heather Cianfrocco to finish giving her presentation, Witty cut the meeting short.

"Thanks, Heather. I'm afraid that we — some of you may know we're dealing with a very serious medical situation with one of our team members," Witty said. "And as a result, I'm afraid we're going to have to bring to a close the event today, which I apologize for. I'm sure you'll understand."

Witty then took the broadcast offline and promised to find a different way to update investors on the company’s business.

In a statement later that morning, the company expressed its condolences.

“We are deeply saddened and shocked at the passing of our dear friend and colleague,” UnitedHealth said in a statement. “Brian was a highly respected colleague and friend to all who worked with him. We are working closely with the New York Police Department and ask for your patience and understanding during this difficult time.”

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