Page 3 of 4
Re: Brian Thompson
Posted: Wed Dec 11, 2024 11:54 am
by dinny_g
Ah yeah I know - her efforts have been more in the miscarriages of justice arena to date, haven't they
Post was tongue in cheek really...
Re: Brian Thompson
Posted: Wed Dec 11, 2024 1:45 pm
by Beany
"Help him Kim, he can't go to jail!" (paraphrased from some comments on twitter noted in the article)
Oh mate -
he's going to jail.
Ultimately, the solution to people feeling like they have to fucking kill people like Thompson - who by all accounts, appears to have been a complete shitheap of a man in terms of how he ran the company and how his company handled their clients - is to legislate, so that it's not in the interests of health insurance companies to behave like that.
Kim could throw some money towards lobbying efforts for that, that would actually be helpful to everyone impacted by the US healthcare system as it stands.
I'm sure that'd be communism, though - you know what American politics is like

Re: Brian Thompson
Posted: Wed Dec 11, 2024 2:24 pm
by dinny_g
I know it's a hugely complex situation but is the anger not aimed at the wrong person / people....
The issue isn't with Insurance Companies who decide which $100 aspirin to allow and which to deny - the issue is with the companies charging $100 for an aspirin. If aspirin's were 10c each, as they actually are, then with similar premiums, the Insurance Companies could pay for more and still turn a profit ?
My American friend chose to start her family here (with her English husband) before moving back to California because it's €250k to have a child with a 4 day stay in hospital. So long as you don't need Epidural's or Ceserian's etc.
Re: Brian Thompson
Posted: Wed Dec 11, 2024 2:32 pm
by ZedLeg
Insurance companies are part of the problem though.
Cost is the worst possible reason to deny someone healthcare and (for example) implementing a policy that would leave people destitute for getting cancer is evil.
Re: Brian Thompson
Posted: Wed Dec 11, 2024 2:35 pm
by dinny_g
ZedLeg wrote: Wed Dec 11, 2024 2:32 pm
Cost is the worst possible reason to deny someone healthcare and (for example) implementing a policy that would leave people destitute for getting cancer is evil.
No fully agree - it sounds insane. I've seen genuine bills where patients are charged by hospitals for "Emotional Support" at €50 a time. That means they were charged €50 for a hug.
And I suppose the Government falls back behind "Federal V State - we can't intercede" line ??
Re: Brian Thompson
Posted: Wed Dec 11, 2024 2:41 pm
by ZedLeg
Government gets paid billions by health industry lobbyists to ignore it.
Re: Brian Thompson
Posted: Wed Dec 11, 2024 2:55 pm
by dinny_g
So... America then...

Re: Brian Thompson
Posted: Wed Dec 11, 2024 2:57 pm
by ZedLeg
Pretty much.
I think the lack of sympathy for the dead guy suggests that even folk who like capitalism in general are sick of it.
Re: Brian Thompson
Posted: Wed Dec 11, 2024 3:08 pm
by Gavster
ZedLeg wrote: Wed Dec 11, 2024 2:41 pm
Government gets paid billions by health industry lobbyists to ignore it.
Not only that, United Healthcare is the ninth largest company IN THE WORLD, with profits of $22,381,000,000 last year according to Wikipedia, so they're potentially paying enormous amounts of tax revenue too.
My European brain simply cannot understand how hospitals can be allowed to make insane profits like that

Re: Brian Thompson
Posted: Wed Dec 11, 2024 3:15 pm
by ZedLeg
Imagine going into medicine and getting rich off of denying people care. Monsters.
Re: Brian Thompson
Posted: Wed Dec 11, 2024 5:40 pm
by speedingfine
Re: Brian Thompson
Posted: Wed Dec 11, 2024 6:14 pm
by Gavster
I heard about that from a TikTok post, but hadn't seen it. If they really are his words then I can understand how watching one of your parents suffer like that would leave you feeling utterly helpless.
Re: Brian Thompson
Posted: Thu Dec 12, 2024 9:20 am
by 240PP
Saw this on LinkedIn this morning. It’s not gone down well, 3k+ comments.
Particularly the bit about $280B of revenue.

Re: Brian Thompson
Posted: Thu Dec 12, 2024 9:45 am
by Beany
Does Rob read the news? Does he realise that Thompson wasn't gunned down at random?
Certainly proving that many execs are completely out of touch with reality, at least.
Re: Brian Thompson
Posted: Thu Dec 12, 2024 9:59 am
by Gavster
Some large companies have a circle-jerk attitude to the righteousness of their work in the aim of generating profit. I see it in food, companies like Mars who own Pringles will bang on about things like "sustainable snacking" and creating "choice and innovation" for consumers to have more snacking occasions to celebrate with friends and family. They make it sound so wholesome and in everyone's best interest. It's really nauseating when we know they're pushing in the wrong direction for public health. Robert on LinkedIn has adeptly combined that kind of echo-chmaber chat with an even more heightened inability to read the room.
Re: Brian Thompson
Posted: Thu Dec 19, 2024 8:57 pm
by Sundayjumper
Re: Brian Thompson
Posted: Fri Dec 20, 2024 1:06 am
by Gavster
Re: Brian Thompson
Posted: Fri Dec 20, 2024 8:48 am
by ZedLeg
It looks like they’re going to make an example of him but it doesn’t matter. The statement has been made.
Re: Brian Thompson
Posted: Fri Dec 20, 2024 8:50 am
by ZedLeg

- IMG_2449.jpeg (83.82 KiB) Viewed 1170 times
ZedLeg wrote: Fri Dec 20, 2024 8:48 am
It looks like they’re going to make an example of him but it doesn’t matter. The statement has been made.
Re: Brian Thompson
Posted: Fri Dec 20, 2024 12:38 pm
by Gavster
Gavster wrote: Fri Dec 20, 2024 1:06 am
The internet has noticed how this photo has fallen into a similar composition as Christ Taken at the Garden of Gethsemane
Just realised that looks like a helicopter in the background, did they seriously fly him into NYC in a chopper? People pay good money for that kind of experience
