CNN reports that United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson’s murder on Wednesday (12/4/2024) in Manhattan, New York, has unleashed rage and frustration from social media users over the denial of medical claims and the use of mandatory pre-authorization by insurers to increase profits. Insurers have taken it upon themselves to determine which treatments are not ‘medically necessary’ or are not ‘backed by scientific evidence’ instead of relying on patients’ doctors to make such determinations.
Insurers increasingly rely on technology, including artificial intelligence (“AI”), instead of reviews by actual medical professionals. A class action lawsuit was filed during 2023 in a Minnesota U.S. District Court arguing that United Healthcare uses AI “in place of real medical professionals to wrongfully deny elderly patients care.” The lawsuit alleges that more than 90% of these treatment denials under Medicare were subsequently reversed through an internal appeal or proceedings before federal administrative law judges.
The CNN article may be read in full HERE.
My brothers and sisters, let there be no mistake, FGGAM prays for CEO Thompson’s family, following what appears to be a planned murder. Murder is never justified – period.
As police investigate and seek to arrest the murder suspect, there have been suggestions that the murderer was somehow seeking revenge or making a point about medical insurers becoming ‘judge and jury’ regarding which medical procedures and drugs are covered by insurance companies – leaving many patients to suffer from lack of proper treatment or medicine.
It is interesting to this writer that American society, essentially, requires every person to have medical insurance, whether through the workplace, private insurance, Medicare or Medicaid – or a combination thereof, yet, the costs for drugs and medical procedures seems to continually increase, with corporations consistently reaping millions of dollars in profits.
There will always be the incredible effectiveness of the free enterprise system, which is the cornerstone of the United State’s economy. “Free enterprise is an economic system where market forces determine prices, supply, and demand of goods and services without interference from the government,” according to the Corporate Finance Institute.
Health care insurance is not about protecting that new car or boat, but rather, it speaks to the difference between earthly life or death – as we have only one physical body until we die and present ourselves before God.
As believers, let’s pray that Thompson’s killer will be brought to justice, with no more injuries or deaths occurring in the process of his capture. Let’s also pray that our governmental and criminal justice professionals would use this sad occasion as the impetus for a review of the nation’s medical insurance system, without glossing over its shortcomings or its undergirding by profits.
Simply turning an honest profit is fine, but the desire to turn a profit should never cause persons, businesses or corporations to overlook the most important point of it all, which is loving our neighbors as ourselves and not letting the ‘love of money’ to bring the sin of greed and a lack of compassion for those we are supposed to serve.
As followers of Jesus, we are to love with the love of Christ. This is how the world will know we are Christians. This is how we are able to bring an effective witness for Christ to the world, because God is love!
For King & Country’s song “They’ll Know We Are Christians (By Our Love)” is a powerful song:
The Bible tells us that the love of money causes some to depart from the faith found in Christ:
1 Timothy 6:10 (ESV)
“For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.”
The Bible tells us to do justice, to love and to walk humbly with God:
Micah 6:8 (ESV)
“He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?”
The Bible tells us that we will be known a Christians by our love for one another:
John 13:34-35 (NKJV)
“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”
The Bible tells us to love our neighbors as ourselves:
Mark 12:29-32 (NLT)
Jesus replied, “[t]he most important commandment is this: ‘[l]isten, O Israel! The Lord our God is the one and only Lord. And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’ The second is equally important: ‘[l]ove your neighbor as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these.”
And, the Bible tells us that if we truly know God, we will love one another, because God is love:
1 John 4:7-8 (NKJV)
“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.”