The millions of Americans who lost their lives unnecessarily due to for-profit health insurance companies' avarice so far hasn't moved the needle. History has repeatedly demonstrated that some of society's most pervasive issues do not get the attention they deserve until an authority figure, someone on the higher rungs of the social ladder, or of some notoriety, dies.
Unfortunately, it has come to this: the murder of a health insurance executive re-igniting discussions about the exploitative and dysfunctional American healthcare system.
UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson's death in front of the midtown Manhattan Hilton earlier this month has precipitated messages of "good riddance" toward Thompson as a symbol of "a universally despised system run by 'heartless vampires' who routinely refuse care in exchange for bloody profit."
As Abby Zimet wrote in Common Dreams:
The pitiless response by tens of millions of their victims: Wanted posters, judging the shooter "too hot to convict" and grimly declaring, "Thoughts and prayers are out of network."
Senator Elizabeth Warren explained, "Violence is never the answer, but people can only be pushed so far."
How many more people have to die or be forced into bankruptcy before the United States joins every other industrialized nation in guaranteeing healthcare as a basic human right?
Now that the convicted felon is returning to his old job, and republicans have a (very slim) majority in Congress, the Democratic Party needs to make Medicare-for-all a serious campaign issue for the 2026 mid-terms. It could mean winning back Democratic seats by impressive margins--or condemning the party of Franklin Roosevelt to perpetual defeat ad infinitum.This month, following the killing of Brian Thompson, Nation of Change published a piece reporting that trust in the for-profit health insurance industry has hit an all-time low, and that, according to a recent Gallup poll, 62% of Americans favor a national healthcare model.
The piece explains:
Between 2000 and 2008, a consistent majority of Americans believed it was the federal government's duty to ensure universal healthcare. However, opposition to the Affordable Care Act (ACA) during the Obama administration caused support to dip, reaching a low of 42 percent in 2013.
Ironic considering the ACA ("Obamacare"), often maligned as "government insurance," actually handed more authority to the very same predatory health insurance providers from the which the American people needed protection.
However, the piece continues:
In recent years, public opinion has shifted back toward supporting government intervention. This year's 62 percent marks a significant increase from 56 percent in 2020. Notably, this growing support spans party lines, with 32 percent of Republicans now favoring government responsibility -- up from 22 percent in 2020 -- and 65 percent of Independents agreeing, an increase of six points. Among Democrats, support remains overwhelmingly high at 90 percent.
California Rep. Ro Khanna stated after Brian Thompson's murder:
Democrats will regain trust by standing up to special interest insurance companies and fighting for Medicare for All. The current system is broken.
As Thom Hartmann, author of The Hidden History of American Healthcare: Why Sickness Bankrupts You and Makes Others Insanely Rich, stated:
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