In 2023, Christopher McNaughton suffered from a debilitating case of ulcerative colitis, which caused him to develop severe arthritis, diarrhea, numbing, and dangerous blood clots. Luckily, an amalgamation of drugs crafted by a Mayo Clinic specialist brought his illness under control. However, McNaughton’s case cost nearly $2 million dollars a year to maintain, which flagged him as a “high dollar account” under UnitedHealthcare’s policies. The company reviewed McNaughton’s situation and deemed that his case was not necessary, refusing to pay for the treatment.
Fortunately, McNaughton took the unfair case to court, was able to expose the inner workings of UnitedHealthcare, and received an undisclosed settlement. While McNaughton’s successful rebuttal is a rarity, the denial of his imperative healthcare is not.
Over 200 million Americans are covered by private health insurance, yet one in seven claims for treatment are denied. The widespread pattern of denied claims has fueled growing frustration with private insurers, leading many in the public to view UnitedHealthcare, the largest health insurance company in the U.S., as a villainous entity. For one Luigi Mangione, UnitedHealthcare’s immoralities had simply persisted too far, which led him to allegedly shoot and murder UnitedHealthcare’s CEO, Brian Thompson, in New York City on December 4, 2024. According to an internal police report, in his manifesto, Luigi stated that “these parasites simply had it coming.”
Almost immediately, celebrations of the murder broke out on social media. Mangione was seen as a hero by the public for allegedly taking out a corporate leader who led an exploitive industry. Mangione’s alleged actions, while undeniably brutal, immoral, and unjust, resonated with those who had long suffered under the weight of corporate healthcare decisions. The intense public reaction to the Thompson’s shooting reveals a deeper ethical question: Should healthcare be a for-profit industry?
While the United States Constitution does not explicitly state a right to healthcare, healthcare is, and should be regarded as, a fundamental human right. While there has been a longstanding debate on the healthcare system, putting the right to treatment and care behind a pay wall should be seen as a violation of ethical principles. Profiting from essential care leads to inequities, where access to necessary treatments is determined by financial capability rather than need.
The American College of Physicians (ACP), a national organization of internal medicine physicians with over 161,000 members, has said that the United States needs a healthcare system that provides universal care, such as the United Kingdom’s NHS or through a pluralistic system that involves government and private organizations. The U.K. National Health Service is the U.K.’s publicly funded healthcare system, which is majority funded by general taxation and National Insurance contributions. This system allows the United Kingdom to provide public healthcare to all permanent residents.
Many argue against such a system in the U.S., deeming that the nation is simply too large and diverse, both from a cultural and socioeconomic standpoint, for such a system to be employed. The initiation of a universal health insurance system would be led by taxation, inevitably increasing citizen’s taxes, while also introduce the potential for general system inefficiency and lengthy wait-times for patients. However, these are all issues that could potentially be mediated by the implementation of a dual system such as the Irish healthcare system, which operates on a mixed public-private healthcare system. In Ireland, citizens have access to basic healthcare services and the option for private health insurance.
Mangione had his gripes with the American healthcare system, and rightfully so, but murder is not a justifiable or ethical solution to a systemic issue. So, why are people celebrating such a heinous crime? Death is often followed with mourning; however, as social media would have it, Thompson’s death was followed by content and celebration. UnitedHealthcare’s Facebook page posted a statement on Thompson’s death, which received about 90,000 respondents who clicked Facebook’s laughing emoji.
Citizens’ inhumane response to murder shows just how widespread and deep-rooted the discontent with the healthcare system in America has become. People want change. They want not to fear more about a hospital bill than the life of a loved one. They want not to spend thousands on insurance, just for their claims to be denied in a time of crisis. The American people’s response to Thompson’s death is not a testament to citizens lack of empathy, rather a clear statement on the grief and anger that has been built up in those who are not fortunate enough to receive critical healthcare for themselves and for those they love.
The public’s response to the Thompson’s killing, while unsettling, proves merely that the American healthcare system is failing its people. Healthcare is not meant to be a privilege; it is a right that must be accessible to all, regardless of socioeconomic status. The United States has established a system that deems profit of greater importance than human life. The people of America yearn change, and while a system that pleases all Americans is simply a fantasy, redefining healthcare to stand on pillars of equitable care must be our greatest priority.
Arman Momeni is a freshman from Toronto, Canada, studying Neuroscience and Applied Math and Statistics.
