The recent discussions and growing anger surrounding the healthcare system have exposed the stark failures that contribute to unnecessary deaths, particularly due to rampant insurance denials. The conversation has been thrust into public discourse following the murder of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson. Shockingly, some have tried to claim the shooting suspect is a hero. He is not.
Thompson’s murder, the alleged manifesto of the suspect, and public complaints have now focused on the company’s track record of insurance claims. It’s unacceptable that a specific company stands out with a denial rate vastly higher than its competitors. With lawsuits revealing that up to 90% of these denials could be wrongful, we must ask: what actions will we take to correct these grave injustices in our current healthcare system? Because rampant denials are not isolated to one company.
This murder has sparked these conversations and highlighted a critical issue in our public discourse—rather than tackling the concerns Americans care about, our political focus is overly consumed with trivial distractions like bathrooms and book bans, while vital healthcare concerns go unaddressed. Americans are living in anger and fear for their health and that of their loved ones, desperately seeking access to essential treatments in a system that is dangerously flawed.
The time for political courage and decisive action is long passed. Years have been wasted by politicians promising nothing but “repeal and replace” slogans without any real plans. Now, we are told there are “concepts of a plan” by the incoming administration. How reassuring. Policymakers need to cut out the polarizing bullshit and prioritize reforming the healthcare industry that puts patients first. The public is fed up with witnessing excessive compensation for healthcare executives while patients fight tooth and nail for the coverage they need to survive.
We must demand real, actionable solutions that tackle both the systemic flaws and the outrageous denial of care while focusing on affordability. The alternative of doing nothing is the threat of copycat instances of others fed up with inaction taking action into their own hands. That alternative is unacceptable. In fact, it is dangerous. It’s time for Congress to get back to the pressing issues that impact the lives of all Americans and to bring about the essential change our healthcare system desperately needs.
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