Americans turn to social media to discuss dire experiences at hands of health insurance companies

Summary

The killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson has ignited outrage over the state of U.S. healthcare.

While his murder shocked many, online reactions highlighted public frustration with private insurers, citing denied care, high costs, and systemic bureaucracy.

UnitedHealthcare, a major industry player, has faced scrutiny for practices perceived as prioritizing profit over patients.

The attack, which appears premeditated, underscores rising tensions around healthcare inequality.

Experts see this as part of a broader trend toward violence over societal disputes, reflecting deep dissatisfaction with the American healthcare system.

  • RobotToaster@mander.xyzEnglish
    31·
    6 days ago
    • all-time low for uninsured
    • unemployment has held below 4% for the longest stretch since the 1960s
    • income increases began to outpace price increases
    • cost of living is returning to its pre-pandemic level this year
    • rise in real wages for lower-income workers lowers inequality
    • violent crime is down

    None of these are things they did directly

    • energy transition spending was $303 billion last year, a record and two-thirds higher than before Biden
    • $369 billion investment in climate change, the largest in American history, through the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022
    • rejoined the Paris Agreement

    None of these directly help workers

    • signed the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act that created enhanced background checks, closed the “boyfriend” loophole and provided funds for youth mental health

    If it’s bipartisan then the democrats didn’t do it.

    • college debt relief to Americans with loans who make under $125,000 a year

    only a small amount

    • cut child poverty in half through the American Rescue Plan

    only for a short period of time

    • capped prescription drug prices at $2,000 per year for seniors on Medicare through the Inflation Reduction Act

    For a very specific group

    • imposed a 15% minimum corporate tax on some of the largest corporations in the country, ensuring that they pay their fair share, as part of the Inflation Reduction Act

    Pretty sure this was because of a global treaty

    • reauthorized the Violence Against Women Act through 2027

    Keeping things the same isn’t a improvement

    • halted all federal executions after the previous administration reinstated them after a 17-year freeze

    Getting things back to how they were previously isn’t an improvement.

    • $1.2 trillion infrastructure package to increase investment in the national network of bridges and roads, airports, public transport and national broadband internet, as well as waterways and energy systems
    • gave Medicare the power to negotiate prescription drug prices through the Inflation Reduction Act while also reducing government health spending
    • reduced healthcare premiums under the Affordable Care Act by $800 a year
    • signed the PACT Act to address service members’ exposure to burn pits and other toxins
    • signed the Respect for Marriage Act, requiring the U.S. federal government and all U.S. states and territories (though not tribes) to recognize the validity of same-sex and interracial civil marriages in the United States

    I don’t know enough about these to comment, on the surface they sound good but some are vague.

    • Zachariah@lemmy.worldEnglish
      11·
      6 days ago

      Well, he’s not a king or a wizard. It takes the whole government to get it done, and these were done under his administration.