R/Medicine Subreddit Deleted After Apparent Doctors And Patients Show Zero Sympathy For United Healthcare CEO’s Exit From This Planet

The tragic death of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson has triggered an uproar online, particularly within the medical community and among patients fed up with the U.S. healthcare system. The r/medicine subreddit briefly hosted a thread where doctors and patients sounded off, expressing zero sympathy for Thompson and his company’s controversial practices. However, moderators swiftly deleted the thread, further fueling public outrage.

The Deleted Subreddit Thread: A Closer Look

Thompson was fatally shot outside the New York Hilton Midtown hotel in what authorities have described as a targeted attack. While investigations continue, Reddit’s r/medicine community became a hub for uncensored reactions, many of which were scathing.

The Daily Beast wrote the following:

The top comment, which received hundreds of supporting upvotes from other users, mocked UHC’s notorious track record for refusing to pay out insurance claims and is written as a lengthy, spoof rejection letter from the company.

Addressed to an unnamed applicant—following “a careful review of the claim submitted for emergency services on December 4, 2024″—it informs them they are being rejected for coverage because “you failed to obtain prior authorization before seeking care for the gunshot wound to your chest.”

“If you would like to appeal the fatal gunshot, please call 1-800-555-1234 with case # 123456789P to initiate a peer to peer within 48 hours of the fatal gun shot,” wrote one user.

Another paraphrased the early 20th Century trade union lawyer Clarence Darrow: ″I’ve never wished a man dead, but I have read some obituaries with great pleasure.”

The thread exploded with comments from both doctors and patients venting their frustrations over UnitedHealthcare’s practices, particularly under Thompson’s leadership.

UnitedHealthcare’s Long-Standing Issues

UnitedHealthcare has consistently faced backlash for its practices, including denying necessary medical treatments. A Senate report revealed that the company’s prior authorization denial rates for Medicare Advantage plans surged from 8.7% in 2019 to 22.7% in 2022. Under Thompson, the company was accused of prioritizing profits at the expense of patient care.

Doctors told the Daily Beast this:

“I cannot even guess how many person-years UHC has taken from patients and their families through denials,” they wrote. “It has to be on the order of millions. His death won’t make that better, but it’s hard for me to sympathize when so many people have suffered because of his company.”

“What has bothered me the most is people that put «fiduciary responsibility» (eg profits) above human lives, none more so than this company as run by him,” wrote another medical doctor, who also spoke to the Daily Beast to confirm their identity. “When other’s human lives are deemed worthless, it is not surprising to have others view your life of no value as well.”

The American Healthcare System: A Broken Machine

Every American knows someone who has been a victim of the predatory practices that dominate the healthcare system. Insurance companies like UnitedHealthcare are infamous for prioritizing profits, using strategies like “delay, deny, defend” to avoid payouts. Patients are often left stranded without care, while doctors drown in administrative red tape.

Americans are angry, and rightfully so. They’re tired of begging for approvals for life-saving procedures, dealing with surprise medical bills, and watching insurance giants rake in billions while their health suffers. The lack of sympathy for Thompson reflects the collective rage felt toward an industry seen as exploitative and inhumane.

While violence is never justified, one can understand the bitterness driving these reactions. Thompson’s death might seem extreme, but the anger directed at him and his company is deeply rooted in systemic issues that can no longer be ignored. As one r/medicine user put it:

Related Stories on UnitedHealthcare

1. UnitedHealthcare Accused of Denying Treatments as Profits Soar
   Link: https://polinews.org/unitedhealthcare-accused-of-denying-treatments-as-profits-soar
   A deep dive into how UnitedHealthcare’s policies have led to widespread public outrage, impacting countless patients by prioritizing profits over care.
2. Senators Slam UnitedHealthcare Over Medicare Advantage Denial Rates
   Link: https://polinews.org/senators-slam-unitedhealthcare-over-medicare-advantage-denial-rates
   This article examines Senate findings on prior authorization issues and their devastating effects on the quality of care for patients.
3. Patients Share Horror Stories of Dealing with UnitedHealthcare
   Link: https://polinews.org/patients-share-horror-stories-of-dealing-with-unitedhealthcare
   Personal accounts from patients reveal the immense suffering caused by UnitedHealthcare’s denials and bureaucratic delays.
4. Doctors Fight Back Against UnitedHealthcare’s Profit-Driven Policies
   Link: https://polinews.org/doctors-fight-back-against-unitedhealthcares-profit-driven-policies
   Highlights the uphill battle physicians face in dealing with UnitedHealthcare’s corporate policies and administrative hurdles.
5. Why UnitedHealthcare Is the Most Hated Insurance Company in America
   Link: https://polinews.org/why-unitedhealthcare-is-the-most-hated-insurance-company-in-america
   A detailed look at UnitedHealthcare’s tarnished reputation and how it reflects the systemic problems plaguing U.S. healthcare.

The System Must Change: A Manifesto for Healthcare Justice

The United States healthcare system is a machine built to churn profits out of human suffering. At its heart are companies like UnitedHealthcare—soulless juggernauts that deny life-saving treatments, strangle doctors with red tape, and leave patients drowning in debt. It is a system rigged to enrich the few at the expense of the many, and it is long past time for this machine to be dismantled.

Every American has felt the sting of this broken system. They’ve fought insurance companies over denied claims, watched loved ones ration medication, or faced financial ruin from a single hospital stay. It’s not an accident—it’s by design. These corporations prioritize shareholders over people, profit margins over health, and power over humanity. And they do so without remorse.

But here’s the truth: This system is not immutable. It was built, and it can be torn down. It is a moral imperative that we demand better. Healthcare is a human right, not a commodity to be exploited. It’s time to wrest control from the hands of CEOs who see patients as dollar signs and return it to the people whose lives depend on it.

We must reject the lie that this is the best we can do. Other nations provide universal healthcare, free at the point of service, with better outcomes and lower costs. There is no reason the wealthiest country in the world cannot do the same. The excuses have run out, and so has the patience of the American people.

Here’s what needs to happen:

• Eliminate profit-driven healthcare: No more billion-dollar bonuses for CEOs while patients go untreated. Healthcare should serve the people, not Wall Street.
• Universal access to care: Every American, regardless of income or employment status, deserves comprehensive coverage. This is non-negotiable.
• Accountability for denial of care: Insurance companies that deny necessary treatments must face real consequences. Lives should never be collateral damage in the pursuit of profit.
• Empower healthcare providers: Doctors and nurses should be focused on patient care, not fighting with insurance companies. Free them from the shackles of bureaucracy.

This is not radical—it’s necessary. The current system is a grotesque failure that cannot be reformed around the edges. It must be rebuilt from the ground up, with people—not profits—at its center.

The death of a CEO may seem like an extreme moment, but it is emblematic of a deeper crisis. When an entire nation is this enraged, when despair and hopelessness turn into apathy or violence, it’s a sign that something is fundamentally broken. You cannot exploit people indefinitely and expect them to quietly accept it.

The anger simmering beneath the surface of this country will not dissipate until we address the root cause: a healthcare system that has turned its back on humanity. Americans are tired of begging for scraps while corporate giants gorge themselves on the misery of the sick and dying. This cannot—and will not—stand.

Let this be a rallying cry. We will no longer tolerate a healthcare system that sacrifices lives for profit. We will not rest until every American has access to the care they deserve. And we will not stop fighting until this system is transformed into one that values human dignity above all else.

The time for change is now. If the system won’t fix itself, then we’ll tear it down and build something better in its place.

Featured image via public domain