{"id":133833,"date":"2024-12-06T04:30:48","date_gmt":"2024-12-05T21:30:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/?p=133833"},"modified":"2024-12-06T04:30:48","modified_gmt":"2024-12-05T21:30:48","slug":"unitedhealthcare-ceo-shooting-live-updates-police-release-photos-of-suspect-in-killing-of-brian-thompson","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/?p=133833","title":{"rendered":"UnitedHealthcare CEO Shooting Live Updates: Police Release Photos of Suspect in Killing of Brian Thompson"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"fluid\"\r\n     data-ad-layout-key=\"-fb+5w+4e-db+86\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"7910942971\"><\/ins>\r\n<script>\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<p>Brian Thompson spent more than 20 years climbing through the ranks at UnitedHealthcare, one of the nation\u2019s largest health insurers and a main division of the conglomerate UnitedHealth Group, and there were no signs that his ascent was slowing.<\/p>\n<p>He had been chief executive of the insurance division since 2021, overseeing a period of substantial profits. The division reported $281 billion in revenues last year, providing coverage to millions of Americans through the health plans it sold to individuals, employers and people under government programs like Medicare. The division employed roughly 140,000 people.<\/p>\n<div>\n<p class=\"live-blog-post-content css-h61jh5 evys1bk0\">Mr. Thompson\u2019s killing on Wednesday outside a midtown Manhattan hotel as he was walking toward the UnitedHealth Group\u2019s annual investor day sent shock waves through the nation\u2019s vast health care sector. The fatal shooting elicited an outpouring of sympathy from rival insurers, executives, health care providers and others.<\/p>\n<p class=\"live-blog-post-content css-h61jh5 evys1bk0\">During Mr. Thompson\u2019s tenure as chief executive of UnitedHealthcare, the company\u2019s profits rose, with earnings from operations topping $16 billion in 2023 from $12 billion in 2021. Mr. Thompson received a total compensation package last year of $10.2 million, a combination of $1 million in base pay and cash and stock grants.<\/p>\n<p class=\"live-blog-post-content css-h61jh5 evys1bk0\">He oversaw significant growth in one of the company\u2019s key businesses, the sale of private insurance plans under Medicare Advantage, a program mainly for those 65 and older that receives federal funds and now covers roughly half of the 61 million people signing up.<\/p>\n<p class=\"live-blog-post-content css-h61jh5 evys1bk0\">\u201cHe sure as heck had a lot of role in the proliferation of Medicare Advantage,\u201d said Matt Burns, a former United executive who spent several years working for Mr. Thompson, whom colleagues knew as BT.<\/p>\n<p class=\"live-blog-post-content css-h61jh5 evys1bk0\">Mr. Thompson grew up in Jewell, Iowa, where his father, the late <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fosterfuneralandcremation.com\/memorials\/dennis-thompson\/5135419\/\" title=\"\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Dennis Thompson<\/a>, worked for decades as a grain elevator operator.<span class=\"css-8l6xbc evw5hdy0\">  <\/span>From a modest background, Mr. Thompson had achieved executive status but remained open and approachable, Mr. Burns said. When asked to develop a long-term plan for the company, he solicited input from top executives and then synthesized their views. \u201cThat speaks to how inherently sharp he was and how well he knew the business,\u201d Mr. Burns said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"live-blog-post-content css-h61jh5 evys1bk0\">Steve Nelson, the president of Aetna and a former chief executive at UnitedHealthcare, worked with Mr. Thompson for close to a decade. \u201cHe actually was the smartest guy in the room, without being annoying,\u201d Mr. Nelson said of his former colleague, who described his self-deprecating sense of humor. \u201cHe would make fun of himself a lot,\u201d Mr. Nelson said, who said Mr. Thompson was an amateur wrestler who liked to challenge colleagues to arm wrestling.<\/p>\n<p class=\"live-blog-post-content css-h61jh5 evys1bk0\">He was also well-regarded by Wall Street analysts, where he was known for his reassuring descriptions of the company\u2019s outlook.<\/p>\n<p class=\"live-blog-post-content css-h61jh5 evys1bk0\">On a recent call with Wall Street analysts and investors to discuss the company\u2019s financial results, Mr. Thompson provided a confident voice when questioned. When asked about the employer segment, he told one analyst, \u201cI feel really good about not only our performance, but our cost management inside our commercial business.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"live-blog-post-content css-h61jh5 evys1bk0\">Mr. Thompson had presided over the division as it faced multiple inquiries and has been criticized by congressional lawmakers and federal regulators who accused it of systematically denying authorization for health care procedures and treatments.<\/p>\n<p class=\"live-blog-post-content css-h61jh5 evys1bk0\">The insurance arm of UnitedHealth Group has also been under federal scrutiny because the parent company was the victim of a <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2024\/03\/05\/health\/cyberattack-healthcare-cash.html\" title=\"\">broad cyberattack<\/a> on its billing and payment system, Change Healthcare. Private information, including health data, from more than 100 million Americans was compromised in the ransomware attack. The parent company paid $22 million in ransom in an effort to stop the hackers.<\/p>\n<p class=\"live-blog-post-content css-h61jh5 evys1bk0\">UnitedHealth Group has a sprawling dominance over nearly every segment of health care, and it is one of the nation\u2019s largest companies overall, with $372 billion in revenue last year. But its massive size and scope have attracted the attention of the Justice Department, which is looking into whether the company has engaged in any anti-competitive behavior. The company\u2019s proposed acquisition of a major home care company recently resulted in a lawsuit filed by the Justice Department and four state attorneys general seeking to block the deal.<\/p>\n<p class=\"live-blog-post-content css-h61jh5 evys1bk0\">In addition, Bloomberg News reported that several of UnitedHealth Group\u2019s executives sold stock. According to regulatory filings, Mr. Thompson owned about $20 million of shares in the parent company as of late September. In April, <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bloomberg.com\/news\/articles\/2024-04-11\/unitedhealth-unh-executives-sold-stock-before-us-probe-became-public\" title=\"\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Bloomberg reported<\/a> that he was one of at least four executives at the company who had sold shares before the Justice Department antitrust investigation was disclosed to the company\u2019s investors \u2014 about $15 million worth in Mr. Thompson\u2019s case. The company told Bloomberg at the time that the sales had been approved.<\/p>\n<p class=\"live-blog-post-content css-h61jh5 evys1bk0\">After Mr. Thompson joined UnitedHealth Group in 2004, he rose steadily, taking on various finance roles and eventually overseeing the company\u2019s government plans offered to people who qualify for Medicare or Medicaid, the state-federal program for the poor. United\u2019s management of those plans has also been scrutinized by the federal government.<\/p>\n<p class=\"live-blog-post-content css-h61jh5 evys1bk0\">Those who worked with him during that time said he was responsive to concerns about how to serve the individuals in those programs. \u201cEvery interaction with him felt extremely genuine,\u201d said Antonio Ciaccia, a consultant who discussed using pharmacists to help provide better care for people receiving Medicaid. \u201cHe was a very good listener.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"live-blog-post-content css-h61jh5 evys1bk0\">Before he went to work at United, Mr. Thompson spent nearly seven years at PricewaterhouseCoopers, also known as PwC, the large accounting firm. He graduated from the University of Iowa with a bachelor\u2019s degree in business administration with an accounting major in May 1997. <\/p>\n<p class=\"live-blog-post-content css-h61jh5 evys1bk0\">A number of the insurer\u2019s rivals and analysts said they were shocked by the news of his killing, and praised his management style.<\/p>\n<p class=\"live-blog-post-content css-h61jh5 evys1bk0\">\u201cIt\u2019s a very dark day for all of health care,\u201d said Michael Ha, an analyst at Baird who was at the investor conference on Wednesday. \u201cHe was so smart, talented leader, very well-respected, with such a bright future as a health care leader.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"live-blog-post-content css-h61jh5 evys1bk0\">Gail Boudreaux, the chief executive of Elevance Health, said that overseeing health care organizations \u201cis marked by dedication, compassion and a profound commitment to improving lives, and Brian embodied these qualities and more.\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n<p class=\"live-blog-post-content css-h61jh5 evys1bk0\">\u201cI knew him to be a visionary leader who developed innovative ideas to take on some of the nation\u2019s greatest challenges,\u201d said Kim Keck, the chief executive of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, which represents Blue Cross plans. \u201cHis death is a great loss for our country and for the health care industry.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"live-blog-post-content css-h61jh5 evys1bk0\">Mr. Nelson of Aetna said he would not speculate about any motive for Mr. Thompson\u2019s murder, but he noted that insurance executives are sometimes the target of people\u2019s frustrations with the health care system.<\/p>\n<p class=\"live-blog-post-content css-h61jh5 evys1bk0\">\u201cI\u2019m not going to say that it comes with the territory, because that\u2019s ridiculous,\u201d he said. \u201cNobody should ever feel their life is threatened for doing their job.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"live-blog-post-content css-h61jh5 evys1bk0\">In a video sent to UnitedHealth employees, Andrew Witty, the parent company\u2019s chief executive, said: \u201cBrian was a truly extraordinary person who touched the lives of countless people throughout our organization and far beyond. It\u2019s a terrible tragedy.\u201d The Wall Street Journal earlier reported the video message.<\/p>\n<p class=\"live-blog-post-content css-h61jh5 evys1bk0\">In a statement issued on Wednesday, the company said it was working closely with the New York Police Department. \u201cOur hearts go out to Brian\u2019s family and all who were close to him,\u201d the company said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"live-blog-post-content css-h61jh5 evys1bk0\">Mr. Thompson lived with his family in a suburb of Minneapolis. He is survived by his wife, Paulette R. Thompson, a physical therapist who works for a Minnesota health system, and two children.<\/p>\n<p class=\"live-blog-post-content css-1smqmx3 etfikam0\">Joe Rennison<!-- -->, Stefanos Chen, Julie Creswell and Matthew Goldstein contributed reporting.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"fluid\"\r\n     data-ad-layout-key=\"-fb+5w+4e-db+86\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"7910942971\"><\/ins>\r\n<script>\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script><br \/>\n<br \/><div data-type=\"_mgwidget\" data-widget-id=\"1660802\">\r\n<\/div>\r\n<script>(function(w,q){w[q]=w[q]||[];w[q].push([\"_mgc.load\"])})(window,\"_mgq\");\r\n<\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/live\/2024\/12\/05\/nyregion\/brian-thompson-unitedhealthcare-news\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Brian Thompson spent more than 20 years climbing through the ranks at UnitedHealthcare, one of the nation\u2019s largest health insurers and a main division of the conglomerate UnitedHealth Group, and &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/?p=133833\" class=\"more-link\">Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8629],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-133833","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-u-s","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/133833","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=133833"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/133833\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=133833"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=133833"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=133833"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}