Photo by Liam Edwards on Unsplash.
I was appalled when Governor Josh Shapiro made a statement about Luigi Mangione. “He’s no hero. He killed a man who was a husband and father.”
This article isn’t about defending Luigi Mangione. It’s about responding to two parts of a famous reaction. First, there’s a value judgment. We should feel concerned because the victim is a husband and father. And second, many comments say we have many peaceful ways to solve problems with institutions.
First, what if Luigi’s victim, Brian Thompson, hadn’t been a husband and father? What if he were a childless cat lady? Would that life be worth less?
If you’ve ever watched Tony Soprano, you’ll know he wasn’t a good man. He was, however, a good family man. He adored his children. He was generous with his wife. We saw pictures of him at his daughter’s concert juxtaposed with pictures of Tony killing someone in cold blood, purely for vengeance.
Brian Thompson was rewarded for overseeing a company that rewarded the denying of health claims. He didn’t shoot anyone with a gun. But millions of people suffered real pain and an undetermined number died on his watch. The numbers are private but doctors estimate up to 1/3 of claims are denied. He could earn $10 million, and his company reported a $22 billion profit, while they denied claims of a few hundred dollars, or even less, to save someone’s life.
Second, part of the commentary on the murder is just plain false. We’re hearing that there are ways to address problems with insurance and other big companies that don’t call for murder. But what are those ways?
We’ve known about health insurance problems for years. We’ve known about other horrific problems. As I say in my book, nothing’s likely to change for nursing homes. Numerous articles have been published. Politicians know about them. And nothing has changed.
Lots of commentators and politicians have pontificated, “We have other ways of dealing with problems in a democracy.”
We don’t.
The doctor broadcasting as “Dr. Glauckenflecken” offered a particularly sane response. He points out that United has the highest denial rate among all companies. In another video, which I can’t locate, a psychologist explained that he stopped accepting patients insured by United. He said they were the worst in denying claims. They demanded more documentation than their competitors.
Dr. Glaucomflecken says two things can be true: Murder is wrong and United Health Care is evil. He describes the social media reaction as a “coping mechanism” for people who feel powerless. But he doesn’t move to the next conclusion. We have structured penalties for murder. We have no remedy for evil companies.
One thing he recommends is using your voice. Speak out on social media, which he says can be “a powerful tool for social advocacy.” I would add, speak out in Medium articles. Use Substack. Write to your legislators (even if they ignore you). Write to your local newspapers.
Unfortunately, the results of these efforts will be limited unless lots and lots of people speak out.
While individuals are writing to legislators, companies are pouring millions into lobbyists who are extremely effective at getting things done. Some of your insurance premiums–and hospital payments–are being used to fund lobbyists.
It’s even more important to stay informed. Lots of people over 65 don’t know the difference between traditional Medicare and Medicare Advantage. And lots of people over 65 think AARP will take care of them. In fact, AARP endorses United Health Care and makes large commissions for doing so…more than they get from membership. AARP won’t help when your claim is denied.
I suggest you google “Medicare Advantage nightmares.”
But one thing is sure: we can’t let this discussion die. Whatever you think of Luigi Mangione, we now have a dialogue and we have increased awareness. We shouldn’t let that go to waste.
