CEO of American healthcare giant shot dead: Bullets found with special markings, roughly hinting at "delay, refuse, argue"

On Wednesday morning, Brian Thompson, CEO of the health insurance business of "America's largest health insurance company" UnitedHealth Group, was shot and killed. On Thursday Eastern Time, Bloomberg reported that police found a shell casing and a bullet at the scene, with the words "delay" and "depose" engraved on the bullet. These words are related to a book titled "Deny, Delay, Defend," which describes common denial strategies used by insurance companies. This detail has sparked speculation about the motive behind the case, questioning whether it is related to anger against health insurance companies for denying claims. Earlier this year, the Senate released a report criticizing insurance companies for using automated tools to increase denial rates, with UnitedHealth being one of the companies named. The report pointed out that these tools led to a large number of claims being denied, causing significant distress and pressure for patients and healthcare providers. Joseph Giacalone, a former NYPD chief and current professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, stated, "This is very unusual. I've been in investigative work for many years, but I've never encountered a case like this." He believes that while the words on the shell casing may relate to the insurance company's denial strategies, investigators cannot rule out the possibility that the suspect deliberately left these clues to divert police attention: "They will thoroughly investigate all possibilities, but they must also consider that this could be a ruse." The New York City Police Department reported that Thompson was shot around 6:45 AM on Wednesday, in front of the Hilton Hotel in downtown New York City. On that day, UnitedHealth was hosting an investor day event at the hotel. Security cameras captured the entire incident, showing the assailant arriving early to wait for an opportunity, approaching Thompson from behind after he arrived, and firing multiple shots. After the attack, the shooter quickly fled into a nearby alley and rode away on a Citi Bike towards Central Park. Police found a mobile phone in the alley. On Thursday, during trading hours, UnitedHealth (UNH) saw its stock drop nearly 4%.