• In an interview with Anadolu, Unai Montes-Irueste of People’s Action says the US healthcare system is 'flawed and broken,' as companies deny care as a core profit-maximizing strategy
• While the incoming Trump administration has pledged an overhaul the healthcare system, they will 'need to offer solutions to meet the scale of need,' says Montes-Irueste

ISTANBUL

The killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in New York earlier this month has renewed debates about the role of insurance companies in the American healthcare system.

On Dec. 4, Brian Thompson, the CEO of the largest health insurance company in the country, was shot and killed outside a hotel in Manhattan.

The words “deny,” “defend,” and “depose” were engraved on ammunition found at the scene, echoing common tactics used by insurers to avoid paying claims.

Authorities have arrested Luigi Mangione as the prime suspect in the murder. Mangione who has expressed resentment for the health insurance industry in his writings and posted his frustration with the US medical system.

Shortly after, he became an online phenomenon, with many hailing him as a "modern-day hero," while a fundraiser for his legal defense raised thousands of dollars.

The 26-year-old Ivy League graduate, who was arrested in Pennsylvania, faces state and federal charges, including murder, stalking, and firearms offenses. He has pleaded not guilty to the state charges and, according to his lawyer intends to fight the rest as well.

The killing was a "horrific event" according to Unai Montes-Irueste of People's Action, a reflection of not just the country's gun violence epidemic, but its "healthcare crisis" as well.

‘For-profit corporate health providers are why Americans do not have health care’

‘248 million instances of people being denied medically necessary care’

With private insurers again under scrutiny after the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, activist Unai… pic.twitter.com/kn4L9FxIlF

— Anadolu English (@anadoluagency) December 24, 2024

The media strategy director of the Chicago-based advocacy group states that the US healthcare system is "flawed and broken," citing for-profit health companies as the reason why Americans often lack care.

For-profit health companies in the US are private entities, such as insurers, pharmaceutical companies, and healthcare providers.

While regulated by the government, these companies focus on maximizing financial returns with their healthcare provision services, though their impact on patient care has been hotly debated.

‘The problem unified all Americans’

"There are at least 248 million instances of people being denied medically necessary care in the US, despite the population being only 330 million," Montes-Irueste told Anadolu.

He explains that care denials have become a core strategy for these corporations to avoid costs, thus maximizing profits.

According to him, companies maximize profits "at every level of care ... at the pharmacies, with physicians, and by charging people fees that are out-of-pocket."

Claim denials occur when health insurers refuse to cover medically necessary treatments or procedures, leaving patients to either forgo care or face large medical bills.

According to People’s Action, only a small fraction — just over 0.1% — of people appeal denied claims, the process being "intentionally" complex and time-consuming.

"In the US, it is very common for people to set up crowdfunding or other means to fund the care they need — or they simply go without it, suffering and ultimately dying," Montes-Irueste says.

After the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Thompson, many Americans shared stories online about insurance denials and the devastating financial and emotional toll on their families.

The media strategy director for People’s Action explained that the healthcare crisis affects all Americans, regardless of background, race, state, or political party.

"We are very united on this issue," he says, despite the "political divisions" revealed in recent elections.

Concerns over health care under Trump

Montes-Irueste suggests that under President-elect Donald Trump's second term, the country is likely to see an "increasing trajectory" toward the full privatization of care.

"They will need to offer solutions to meet the scale of need, or the American people will hold them accountable," he says. "I don't expect anyone to stay quiet on this issue between December and the inauguration in January."

Trump has stated his intention to overhaul the Affordable Care Act, the Obama-era program providing health insurance to millions of Americans who do not qualify for government assistance or employer-sponsored plans.

However, in an interview with NBC News earlier this month, Trump mentioned having only "concepts of a plan" for health care, offering no specific details.

During the US elections early last month, Montes-Irueste pointed out record earnings by UnitedHealth, the parent company of the insurer Thompson ran, and questioned whether patients were benefiting.

"What about the people who are policyholders under UnitedHealth? Are they receiving record quality of care improvements, or is the quality of their care completely irrelevant to the money that you're taking in?" he asked.

UnitedHealth Group CEO Andrew Witty recently wrote a guest essay for the New York Times titled "The Health Care System Is Flawed. Let's Fix It."

He honored the late Thompson for his dedication "working to make health care better for everyone," while acknowledging that the system "does not work as well as it should" in the US.

Unai Montes-Irueste of People's Action criticized the essay, describing it as a "very rich statement" from someone with significant control over the system.

Addressing the problem demands action, he said, not "incremental changes around the edges" or "PR campaigns from CEOs" that will no longer be accepted by the American people.