Words on CEO Assassin’s Bullets Potentially Decoded, Strongly Suggest Motive
Brian Thompson, the CEO of UnitedHealthcare, was fatally shot outside a Hilton hotel in Manhattan, with chilling messages inscribed on the ammunition used in the crime, including the words “deny,” “defend,” and “depose.” This terminology mirrors the phrase “delay, deny, defend,” which characterizes how insurance companies often resist paying claims, as noted by industry experts. This incident has sparked discussions about the practices of UnitedHealthcare, which has faced scrutiny for its growing denial rates on prior authorization requests. Authorities are currently investigating the shooting, and video evidence is being reviewed to identify the masked shooter, who reportedly escaped on a bike after the attack.A suspect has been connected to a bus trip from Atlanta to New York City, and police are examining evidence from a burner phone they believe he used.
The fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson came with a message.
The words “deny,” “defend” and “depose” were written on ammunition that was used Wednesday in the fatal shooting of Thompson, 50, outside a Hilton hotel in midtown Manhattan, according to the Associated Press, which cited sources it did not name.
The words used by the masked shooter who gunned down Thompson and then escaped on a bike are similar to a catchphrase “delay, deny, defend,” which is used to caustically sum up how insurance companies resist paying out claims.
The terms refer to insurers delaying payment on claims, denying claims, and defending their actions.
“The longer they can delay and deny the claim, the longer they can hold onto their money, and they’re not paying it out,” said Lea Keller, managing partner at Lewis and Keller, a personal-injury law firm in North Carolina.
“Delay, Deny, Defend” is the title of a 2010 book by Jay Feinman about the insurance industry.
“All insurance companies have an incentive to chisel their customers in order to increase profits,” an excerpt said.
“Many Americans view these companies as driven by profit rather than a commitment to serve their customers,” said Mario Macis, a Johns Hopkins economist said. “And this creates a big disconnect.”
UnitedHealthcare is one company under scrutiny.
In October, a U.S. Senate report noted “UnitedHealthcare’s prior authorization denial rate for post-acute care surged from 10.9 percent in 2020 … to 22.7 percent in 2022,” according to CBS.
Insurance attorney John Tolley said the words have great meaning in the insurance world.
“When I saw that, immediately I thought, oh my God!” he said.
He said the book with a similar title “basically outs the insurance’s game plan. So the game plan is, we need to frustrate these people so much that even if they are saying in the beginning, ‘I’m not gonna take a penny less,’ or ‘I’m not gonna stop fighting until I get what I’m supposed to get,’ well, the insurance company is going to make their life hell from the beginning.”
Since Wednesday, police have been combing video to find clues to the shooter’s identity.
The New York Post reported that police believe the shooter arrived in New York City last month on a bus that originated in Atlanta.
Police believe the shooter stayed at an Upper West Side hostel and used a fake New Jersey ID.
A surveillance image of the man without his face covered has emerged. Police said he removed that face covering while “flirting” with a receptionist at the hostel.
Police have recovered a burner phone they believe the suspect used and said he made a phone call on Wednesday morning as he walked to the hotel for his fatal encounter with Thompson.
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