Unitedhealthcare Shooting Sparks Conversations About Health Care In America

The recent murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson has invoked conversations about the disparities in the medical industry and the inaccessibility of decent coverage. 

As inflation rises, so does the cost of health insurance; yet coverage seems to either stay the same or even decrease. For example, Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield planned to limit anesthesia coverage during surgeries—a decision they reversed a few days ago.

Not to mention, healthcare costs are the top cause of bankruptcy in the U.S. That being said, many individuals are fed up with health insurers, causing an uproar and demand for more affordable coverage. 

The Conversation About Health Care Costs in America

“Unhappiness with insurers stems from two things: ‘I’m sick and I’m getting hassled,’ and the second is very much cost—’I’m paying more than I used to, and I’m paying more than my wages went up’,” said Rob Andrews, CEO of the Health Transformation Alliance, per CBS News. 

He added that “a lot of people think they are getting less” from insurance companies. Of course, that only adds to our stress in today’s financially-burdened society. 

It’s one thing to pay sky-high prices for good health coverage; it’s a whole other to drain our bank accounts for basic or even subpar coverage. 

And since health care is, of course, crucial to our survival, many feel frustrated that it’s nearly impossible to afford decent insurance plans. 

According to Dr. Céline Gounder, CBS News medical contributor and editor-at-large for public health at KFF Health News, “We’ve gotten to a point where health care is so inaccessible and unaffordable, people are justified in their frustrations.”

Many of these frustrations have fueled recent retaliations—like the killing of Thompson and the praise he’s receiving.

The post UnitedHealthcare Shooting Sparks Conversations About Health Care in America appeared first on VICE.