Torrent of Hate for Health Insurance Industry Follows CEO's Killing

Discussions

Americans React to UnitedHealthcare CEO's Murder: 'My Empathy Is Out of Network' (141 points, 12 hours ago, 329 comments) https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=42327272

Moderators Delete Reddit Thread as Doctors Torch Dead UnitedHealthcare CEO (45 points, 3 hours ago, 22 comments) https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=42332347

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I've seen attempts to explain the system, but I've never seen them well-articulated. And I think the complexity is a major part of the problem where many are taken advantage of. Do insurance companies not share at least some of the blame in the system?

And what is driving this large cause in administrative overhead? Something about a doctor having to write letters to justify anti-emetics for a pediatric cancer patient to the insurance company?

I think this comment betrays the reality of Americans interaction with healthcare insurance. It’s not about regulatory awareness, but angst over the system - People die because of the decisions made by insurance companies.

If you read or hear the things people are saying, they’re expressing frustration over the way they’re treated by insurance providers and their policies. The costs across the industry are insane, and insurance companies sit at the intersection of all the money, leaching away 15-20% (your numbers) as profit. Go to a Reddit thread about this murder, and you’ll hear stories of all sorts of families who faced existential questions of paying exorbitantly for or losing access to necessary healthcare. Because of a UnitedHealth policy.

It’s a boiling point of the increasingly divided society with growing wealth inequality. It doesn’t matter what the regulations say, people are suffering and they’re lashing out. The narrative isn’t actually about UnitedHealthcare and their profits.