(NewsNation) — In the wake of UnitedHealthCare CEO Brian Thompson’s killing, an outpouring of anger has been directed toward health care providers.
Thompson was gunned down in New York City on Dec. 4, with his death being viewed by some as a form of justice against a failed health care system.
Luigi Mangione is considered the prime suspect in the killing of Thompson and has been elevated to cult status in parts of the country and on some social media accounts.
Ordinary citizens are not the only ones frustrated with the current state of health insurance. Several medical professionals echoed their exasperation to the Wall Street Journal.
Alleged UnitedHealthcare CEO shooter was never a UHC client: NYPD
“By no means do we applaud this or would we condone violence, but it’s a scary indication of just how frustrated people are about the current system and the imbalance of power — and physicians certainly feel that,” Andrew MacLean, the chief executive of Maine Medical Association, told the newspaper.
Internist Dr. Zulfiqar Ahmed bemoaned the volume of red tape and costs of necessary procedures to the WSJ.
“It’s getting worse,” said Ahmed, who has spent more than three decades in the field. “This is not only UnitedHealthcare — this is universal in this country.”
Rheumatology Associates’ operations director Tony Drykos told Vanity Fair that health insurance companies “have so much power, they are out of control. They believe they are untouchable.”
Ron Howrigon, a health care consultant who represents doctors, told Vanity Fair that Thompson’s death was a “tragic event.
“But one of my first thoughts was, I am kind of surprised this hasn’t happened earlier.”
