Hunting Licenses, "Healthcare" and CEOs

Before we get to the dark humor many have provided and shared since the CEO of UnitedHealthcare was “bagged” in Manhattan and made front-page news, here are a few facts and figures about the state of “healthcare” in the United States.

Fundamental research has indicated that the implementation of a “healthcare for all” system in the US could save 68,000 lives annually. Since the most of the 68,000 are the uninsured and impoverished, each death doesn’t make front page news, nor does 68,000 collectively dying each year due to the lack of access to care.

I would also argue that the transformation of healthcare in the U.S. from a high-cost, high-risk, and reactive system, to a preventative system would potentially save millions of lives, improve the quality of life for all, increase labor productivity, and be a driver of economic growth, however, my perspective is anecdotal.

Furthermore, thousands of individuals and families are forced into bankruptcy due to medical debt in one of the most affluent countries worldwide. According to Health System Tracker 20 million Americans have been burdened with significant medical debt totaling $220 billion nationwide.

The reality is the root cause of the death of Brian Thompson is the very same broken healthcare system from which he and other executives and investors profit. Driven by greed, GOP economic policies, willful ignorance, and apathetic voters.

Below I offer my proof.

George’s Amazing Proof:

• “The social responsibility of business is to increase its profits.” -GOP/Right-wing “fraudconomist” Milton Friedman

  

• United Healthcare Group Incorporated (UNH) is a publicly-traded business on the NYSE.

  

• A massive inflow of money from collecting premiums intended to pay for reasonable and necessary care and subsequently delaying payment for claims, denying claims outright, and delaying and/or denying procedures generate massive profit.
  United Healthcare Group’s average monthly inflow is approximately $25 billion per month. If I delay paying claims against that $25 billion for 90 days and I can earn just 5% on that money I will have made $308 million. This does not even account for claims or procedures I deny outright.

• Therefore, if I’m the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of a “healthcare” insurance company my objective is to maximize profit and increase the portfolio value and/or dividends for shareholders to justify my huge salary, bonus payments, and stock options.

  

This means that Brian Thompson was executed for fulfilling his only responsibility to investors by maximizing profit and value (according to GOP darling Milton Friedman and GOP idol Ronald Reagan).

Therefore, CEO Brian Thompson was killed by the greed inherent in the U.S. system of “healthcare”.

I don’t condone murder and feel for Mr. Thompson’s family and loved ones, I separate that from my contempt for any corporation or industry that exists to profit from suffering and tragedy. The right-wing argument that profit makes any system more efficient, whether it is healthcare, emergency fire and police response, or public education is fraud. Privatized systems are designed and intended to serve the interests of investors, not of patients or society.

To be clear the system is going to get much worse. Wait until Musk and Ramaswamy argue that, from a “government efficiency” perspective, taxing billionaires like themselves to pay for any healthcare cost for the vulnerable and poor in our society is “inefficient.” And those in states controlled by GOP legislative bodies and Governors who block Medicaid expansion (like Texas idiot Greg Abbott or Alabama idiot Kay Ivey) while the criminal-elect Trump repeals the Affordable Care Act when you or a loved one endures an unexpected medical emergency, or a child isn’t covered due to a “pre-existing” condition, the GOP standard response is, apparently, “thoughts and prayers”.

See? You’ll still be covered.