Health Insurance Companies Scrub Leadership Pages Following UnitedHealthcare CEO’s Murder
Major health insurers have removed their leadership pages, citing growing safety concerns for top executives.
Days after UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was fatally shot in what police call a “brazen, targeted attack,” major players like Blue Cross Blue Shield, CareSource, and Medica have pulled executive bios from their websites.
Brian Thompson, CEO of UnitedHealthcare, was shot outside the New York Hilton Midtown on Wednesday morning. According to NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch, the gunman appeared to be “lying in wait” for Thompson, adding that it was a “premeditated, preplanned targeted attack.” Footage shows the shooter calmly clearing a jam in his weapon before continuing to fire.
Police recovered shell casings at the scene engraved with the words “deny,” “defend,” and “depose,” which many believe to be an ominous message for insurance executives like Thompson.
Within hours of Thompson’s murder, UnitedHealthcare’s “Leadership” page was wiped clean. According to The Independent, “the page once containing biographies about its executives now bounces to the insurance company’s homepage with no information about those running the company.”
Another social media sleuth noticed on Thursday that CareSource, Medica, and Blue Cross Blue Shield followed suit. When people clicked on their “Leadership” pages, they were redirected to the “About Us” page or read “Not Found.” When pressed, a Medica spokesperson said, “The safety of Medica employees is our top priority, and we have increased security for all of our employees.” Their offices are temporarily closed “out of an abundance of caution.”
Thompson had been receiving threats before his death. His wife, Paulette Thompson, told NBC News, “There had been some threats... Basically, I don’t know, a lack of coverage? I don’t know details. I just know that he said there were some people that had been threatening him.” Despite this, Thompson did not travel with security. NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny confirmed Thompson left his hotel solo, on foot, just minutes before he was killed. No current or former UnitedHealth executives receive regular company-funded security, according to the company's filings.
For now, the gunman remains at large, and the motive remains unclear.
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