this post was submitted on 05 Dec 2024
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Summary

Reddit’s r/medicine moderators deleted a thread where doctors and users harshly criticized murdered UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.

Comments, including satirical rejections of insurance claims for gunshot wounds, targeted UHC’s reputation for denying care to boost profits.

Despite the removal, similar discussions continue, with medical professionals condemning UHC’s business practices under Thompson’s leadership, which a Senate report recently criticized for denying post-acute care.

Thompson, shot in what appears to be a targeted attack, led a company notorious for its high claim denial rates, fueling ongoing debates about corporate ethics in healthcare.

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[–] the_toast_is_gone@lemmy.world 65 points 2 weeks ago (12 children)

From a mod of /r/medicine:

People - Please don't make the life of your mods a living hell.

Anything that is celebrating violence is going to get taken down - if not from us, then from reddit. I think all the mods understand that there is a high level of frustration and antipathy towards insurance and insurance execs, but we also understand that murdering people in the streets is not good.

We are a public group of medical professionals, we still need to act like that.

And on a practical note, this man did not create or control the fucked up insurance industry by himself. Other people will take his place and continue to do what he was doing. It's a systemic issue.

[–] nondescripthandle@lemmy.dbzer0.com 139 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (25 children)

Other people will take his place and continue to do what he was doing. It's a systemic issue.

The issue will stay systematic if we dont hold the people who make the decisions in the system accountable. The CEOs decisions directly impacted people, thats not a system thats his choice. Poverty is systematic too, but when a poor person does a crime they have to suffer the consequences of it. God forbid rich criminals see consequences. Mods seem to be arguing he had no agency in his choices which is a lie especially if you compare him to other insurance CEOs

[–] halcyoncmdr@lemmy.world 31 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

Not only that, but his particular company denies claims at twice the industry average. UHC isn't in the same category as the rest of the industry, they're particularly bad.

[–] whotookkarl@lemmy.world 18 points 2 weeks ago

Alt: image included in a Boston globe article published today that shows claim denial rates per several insurance companies, average is 16% United is 32%

The big gap is indicating they are probably trying to do as shitty a job as possible without incurring legal repercussions on top of already being in a fucked up industry. For-profit insurers makes as little sense as for-profit prisons or military or mail.

[–] kipo@lemm.ee 2 points 2 weeks ago

Yes, and also all these companies are evil and they all are more than worthy of the UHC CEO treatment.

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[–] A_Random_Idiot@lemmy.world 60 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (2 children)

And on a practical note, this man did not create or control the fucked up insurance industry by himself. Other people will take his place and continue to do what he was doing. It’s a systemic issue.

No, but he certainly profited of it, and made it worse for people who had the misfortune of being trapped with united.

Fuck him, and fuck that hangwringing excuse bullshit. Maybe it wont be so systemic if more heads continue to be popped.

[–] SupraMario@lemmy.world 13 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

Considering that BCBS just halted their anesthesia plans... I'd say someone is taking notice.

[–] A_Random_Idiot@lemmy.world 5 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

I bet you there was still someone in their offices doing a cost benefit analysis on whether doing it and risking their CEO being ganked was worth it or not, before backpedaling

[–] SupraMario@lemmy.world 2 points 2 weeks ago

%100 they had meetings on this

[–] oatscoop@midwest.social 3 points 2 weeks ago

Well, good news. Anthem BCBS rolled back those plans (at least temporarily) after "backlash".

Stay mad and loud, folks -- it's the only thing they fear.

[–] youstolemyname@lemmy.world 6 points 2 weeks ago

I didn't create or control the gas chambers I just operated them!

[–] Olgratin_Magmatoe@lemmy.world 33 points 2 weeks ago

And on a practical note, this man did not create or control the fucked up insurance industry by himself. Other people will take his place and continue to do what he was doing. It’s a systemic issue.

Sure he did. It may have only been one subsection of it, but he absolutely had blood on his hands for his decisions. You don't get to run an insurance company with one of the highest denial rates out there and not have culpability.

And even if somebody else steps up and doesn't fix it, that doesn't absolve him of the blood on his hands.

[–] ProdigalFrog@slrpnk.net 24 points 2 weeks ago (4 children)

I don't see why they wouldn't just let the reddit Admins deal with it, honestly. they're unpaid workers, let the paid managers step in if they must.

[–] Quill7513@slrpnk.net 14 points 2 weeks ago

they're scared of losing their tiny amount of power

[–] jordanlund@lemmy.world 6 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

I can't speak for Reddit, but on Lemmy, admins keep track of "unresolved reports" and failing to resolve reports on a community you moderate is grounds for removal.

[–] ProdigalFrog@slrpnk.net 6 points 2 weeks ago

Were I in their shoes, I'd prep my community to switch to lemmy, then wait to be removed. But I'm quite biased against reddit :p

[–] kboy101222@sh.itjust.works 3 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Because then the admins will remove them as mods and install their approved puppets that will follow everything the admins tell them

[–] ProdigalFrog@slrpnk.net 7 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

If the mods are already behaving in the way reddit desires for fear of removal, would installing proper puppets make much difference?

[–] kboy101222@sh.itjust.works 0 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (1 children)

Yes.

Wishing violence on someone, no matter how deserved, is against reddit TOS.

Doing anything at all that an advertiser might not like isn't officially banned, but the second admins take over it'll be all but the official policy. A doctor wants to complain about an insurance company that might advertise on Reddit? [Removed]. Want to ask about your symptoms of a drug that advertises on Reddit? [Removed].

Admins are just reddit employees and have to do whatever is best for reddit, which under spez means being as advertiser and AI friendly as possible.

Beyond that, admins can't be fucked to respond quickly when users are doxxed, harassed, or threatened with death. And this is in a discord/slack designed to let moderators communicate with the admins. Why would they respond to anything users say on a single subreddit if they can't even respond to dozens of mods being threatened without a board meeting first? Heaven forbid some major issues come up that need seeing to, cause the admins will not do anything.

I passed along dozens of instances of harassment, doxxing, death threats, and straight up CSAM, many of which were directed at me, inclusing having been DMed CSAM images. It would always take the admins days or even weeks to respond. When someone attempted to doxx me (with incorrect info), it took the admins nearly 2 weeks to ban the user.

I know to a lot of people this reads like the moderators just giving in to the admins, and it is, but until more and more people move here or somewhere else, reddits the main place for these groups, and therefore they have to play by reddits rules, because breaking those rules hard enough is the only time admins give a fuck, and that does not end well for users or mods.

[–] ProdigalFrog@slrpnk.net 1 points 2 weeks ago

I'm not sure I fully agree with the idea of continuing to limp Reddit along until enough people switch, and only then torching it. That didn't work for twitter, as Mastodon was available for years, but people only properly migrated away from twitter when it became unbearable to use. AFAIK, Digg died a similar death.

I suspect we would get a more steady stream of migrants here if Reddit became so blatantly pro corporate that they censored posts in the way you describe. Then people would actually be motivated to switch.

[–] LiveLM@lemmy.zip 1 points 2 weeks ago

Ikr?
Oh you're struggling? Lock the sub until the heat dies down, it ain't rocket science 🤷‍♂️

[–] BluJay320@lemmy.blahaj.zone 17 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

Other people will take his place and continue to do what he was doing.

Bullets outnumber CEOs, and guillotines can be resharpened

[–] Saprophyte@lemmy.world 13 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

I'm pretty sure they're just purging the Ai training data to keep Gemini from suggesting capping a corpo when they won't pay for grandma's nausea medication during her chemo.

[–] okwhateverdude@lemmy.world 6 points 2 weeks ago

"Hey Gemini, my health insurance company has denied my claim, what are my next steps?"

I am sorry to hear you are struggling with your health insurance claim. According to Reddit[1], the best way to appeal your claim is to access the Wayback Machine or Archive Today to find out who the executives are for your insurance company and communicate with them directly about the seriousness and validity of your claim.

Here are some effective communication tips to ensure the success of your appeal:

  1. Volume matters - use subsonic ammunition and a suppressor. You don't want to disturb your neighbors when pleading your claim.
  2. Practice makes perfect - you may need to hand cycle the spent rounds. Unless tuned, the gas blow back won't be enough to eject and then chamber another round.
  3. Go eco - e-bikes help the planet. In a traffic packed city, e-bikes provide a great opportunity to reduce pollution.
[–] CileTheSane@lemmy.ca 12 points 2 weeks ago

Other people will take his place and continue to do what he was doing.

Not if this sort of thing keeps happening to them.

[–] assassinatedbyCIA@lemmy.world 5 points 2 weeks ago

Maybe scaring the insurance industry ghouls to change their ways by radical actions is a systemic solution?

[–] NatakuNox@lemmy.world 3 points 2 weeks ago

I'm like, oh other people will take his place? Okay, can we get those other people's names, address, and daily itinerary? Asking for a friend.

[–] spankmonkey@lemmy.world 3 points 2 weeks ago

And on a practical note, this man did not create or control the fucked up insurance industry by himself. Other people will take his place and continue to do what he was doing. It’s a systemic issue.

Yeah, but he led the company that had the highest rate of coverage denial ao he was the absolute worst one in the entire industry.

[–] Infynis@midwest.social 1 points 2 weeks ago (5 children)

If reddit itself would take the post down, let them

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