What you should know about “deny,” “defend,” and “drop” that are reportedly found on bullet casings

Topline

At the site where UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was shot, three words were reportedly found on bullet casings: “deny,” “defend” and “depose,” which are reportedly tactics insurance companies are supposed to use to avoid paying claims from an unknown gunman in New York City on Wednesday.

Important facts

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What do “deny”, “defend” and “depose” mean?

The three words reflect a common phrase – “delay, deny, defend” – and describe allegations of insurers evading paying claims, the Associated Press reported Thursday. The phrase, adopted by critics of the health care industry, refers to the way insurance companies “delay payment of claims, deny all or part of legitimate claims, and defend their claims by forcing plaintiffs to do so,” according to “Delay Deny Defend: Why.” to join a legal dispute.” Insurance Companies Don’t Pay Claims and What You Can Do About It,” a 2010 book on the subject. The book claims to be “an expose of insurance injustice and a plan for consumers and lawmakers to fight back.” It was written by Jay Feinman, an insurance law expert and professor emeritus at Rutgers University, who wanted to show that companies that are entitled Reject claims that are “the result of an increasing and systematic focus on profit maximization by large corporations such as Allstate and State Farm.” Although police have not publicly stated that the motive for Thompson’s killing was related to his work, UnitedHealth Group – which oversees UnitedHealthcare – is one of the largest health insurers in the country and ranked 19th on Forbes’ list this year The world’s largest companies have a market capitalization of more than $560 billion. The New York Times reported last year that UnitedHealthcare had plans whose denial rates ranged from 7% to 27% in 2019, and the AP reported that UnitedHealthcare, along with other for-profit insurers, had become “a frequent target of criticism” because they Have claims denied making it harder to get care.

Cons

The New York Times reported that officials found the words “delay” and “deny” on the bullet casings, rather than “deny,” “defend” and “cancellation,” which would more directly refer to the wording commonly used to criticize the Health insurance industry is used.

Big number

55%. That’s the percentage of American adults who have access to and can afford quality health care when they need it, according to the West Health and Gallup Health Affordability Index released earlier this year. That number is the lowest since the groups began tracking health care affordability in 2021 and is down six percentage points from 2022.

Important background

Thompson, 50, took the helm of UnitedHealthcare, the health insurance division of UnitedHealth Group, in 2021 after working at the company since 2004. He was shot just before 7 a.m. Wednesday morning on his way to the UnitedHealth Group investor meeting in New York, and law enforcement officials said the suspected gunman “lay in wait for several minutes” before shooting Thompson. He was shot in the calf and back and was pronounced dead after being taken to Mount Sinai West in critical condition.

tangent

The suspect was still at large Thursday afternoon. The NYPD has offered a $10,000 reward for anyone with information about the murder, and police released the first photos they believe show the suspect’s face. A senior police official told the New York Times that they still do not know the suspect’s name but are examining several leads.

Further reading

ForbesWho is Brian Thompson? UnitedHealthcare CEO fatally shot after making threatsFrom Mary Whitfill RoeloffsForbesUnitedHealthcare CEO fatally shot in NYC: Police still searching for shooter (Updates)From Lindsey ChooNBC NewsBullets used to kill UnitedHealthcare CEO had words written on them, a senior law enforcement official saysAP NewsWords about ammunition in CEO shootings echo common phrases about insurer tactics: delay, deny, defend