Following the December killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in Manhattan, a new poll reveals significant public sentiment linking the healthcare industry’s practices to the event. More than two-thirds of respondents believed that insurance coverage denials and industry profits were partially responsible for Thompson’s death. His alleged killer, Luigi Mangione, arrested in Pennsylvania, reportedly expressed anger towards the exploitative nature of the US healthcare system in his writings. Thompson’s death sparked widespread public outrage, with many Americans sharing their negative experiences with the for-profit healthcare system on social media.
The NORC at the University of Chicago poll, conducted between December 12th and 16th, surveyed 1,001 adults across the US. A substantial majority (70%) attributed a “great deal” or “moderate amount” of responsibility for Thompson’s death to health insurance companies’ denial of coverage, while 67% felt the same about industry profits. Conversely, only 20% assigned “only a little” or “no” responsibility to the individual who committed the act, with 78% assigning “a great deal” or “moderate amount” of responsibility. Awareness of the CEO’s death was high, with 73% of respondents reporting they had heard “a lot” or “some” about the killing.
Interestingly, despite the public anger, a significant portion of respondents reported no personal issues with their health insurance: 58% had never experienced problems personally, 57% within their immediate family, and 53% among their close friends. However, a notable minority had faced specific challenges: 15% experienced claim denials, 13% struggled with prior authorization, 16% encountered difficulties finding in-network providers, and 7% lacked health insurance entirely.
Finally, the poll addressed concerns about potential future violence. While 41% expressed little to no concern about further violence targeting executives, 39% reported being somewhat concerned, and 19% were very or extremely concerned.