Americans blame insurance companies nearly as much as Luigi Mangione for CEO’s death, poll finds

Washington: Most Americans believe health insurance profits and coverage denials share responsibility for the killing of UnitedHealthcare’s CEO, although not as much as the person who pulled the trigger, according to a new poll.

In the survey from NORC at the University of Chicago, about eight in 10 US adults said the person who committed the killing has “a great deal” or “a moderate amount” of responsibility for the December 4 shooting of Brian Thompson.

Luigi Mangione is escorted from a Manhattan court after his arraignment on December 23. He has pleaded not guilty to murder and terror charges over Brian Thompson’s death.Credit: AP

Despite that, some have cast Luigi Mangione, the 26-year-old suspect charged with Thompson’s murder, as a heroic figure in the aftermath of his arrest, which gave rise to an outpouring of grievances about insurance companies. Police say the words “delay”, “deny” and “depose” were scrawled on the ammunition investigators found at the scene, echoing a phrase commonly used to describe insurer tactics to avoid paying claims.

UnitedHealthcare has said Mangione was not a client.

About seven in 10 adults said denials for health care coverage by insurance companies, or the profits made by health insurance companies, also bore at least “a moderate amount” of responsibility for Thompson’s death. Younger Americans were particularly likely to see the murder as the result of a confluence of forces rather than just one person’s action.

Most Americans get health coverage through their job or by purchasing individual policies. Separate government-funded programs provide coverage for people with low incomes or those who are aged 65 and over or who have severe illnesses or disabilities.

Americans saw a wide range of factors contributing to UHC CEO’s killing and the poll found that the story of the slaying is being followed widely. About seven in 10 said they had heard or read “a lot” or “some” about Thompson’s death.

Multiple factors were seen as responsible. About half in the poll believed that at least “a moderate amount” of blame is rooted in wealth or income inequality, although they did not think other factors like political divisions in the US held the same level of responsibility.

Patients and doctors often complain about coverage denials and other complications interfering with care, especially for serious illnesses like cancer and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS. Insurance industry critics frequently point to company profits in questioning whether the interests of patients are their top focus.

UnitedHealthcare made more than $US16 billion in profit last year, before interest and taxes, on $US281 billion in revenue. Insurers frequently note that most of the revenue they bring in goes back out the door to pay for care. UnitedHealthcare this month said it pays about 90 per cent of medical claims upon submission. The insurer has not provided details on the number of claims involved.

Among young people, blame was spread equally between insurers and the killer. Americans under 30 were especially likely to think a mix of factors was to blame for Thompson’s death. They say that insurance company denials and profits are about as responsible as Thompson’s killer for his death.

About seven in 10 US adults between 18 and 29 say “a great deal” or “a moderate amount” of responsibility falls on profits made by health insurance companies, denials for health care coverage by health insurance companies or the person who committed the killing.

Young people are also the least likely age group to say “a great deal” of responsibility fell on the person who committed the killing. Only about four in 10 say that, compared with about six in 10 between 30 and 59. Roughly eight in 10 adults over 60 say that person deserved “a great deal” of responsibility.

About two-thirds of young people placed at least a moderate level of blame on wealth or income inequality, in general.

Frustrations with health insurers, coverage and the complicated US healthcare system have been simmering for years among patients.

About three in 10 Americans said they had problems getting coverage from their health insurer in the past year, whether those involved problems finding a suitable provider in-network, a claim getting denied or issues getting prior authorisation or insurer approval before care happens. These struggles were more prevalent among Americans under 60.

The poll of 1001 adults was conducted from December 12 to 16 using a sample drawn from NORC’s probability-based AmeriSpeak Panel, which is designed to be representative of the US population.

The margin of sampling error for adults overall is plus or minus 4.2 percentage points.

AP

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