A CEO’s slaying and anger at American health insurers
Marketplace All-in-One
Marketplace
4.5 • 1.4K Ratings
🗓️ 6 December 2024
⏱️ 8 minutes
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Summary
New York authorities have been releasing updated security camera images of the suspected killer of the UnitedHealthcare CEO earlier this week. While the shooter remains at large, social media posts in response are largely voicing frustration with health insurance companies. And now, Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield has rolled back a highly-criticized change in policy regarding anesthesia. Also on this morning’s show: What’s it like being a medical illustrator?
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | People who don't like their health insurance choose this week to speak out. |
| 0:06.5 | I'm David Brancaccio. New York authorities have been releasing updated security camera images of the suspected killer of the United Health Care CEO Brian Thompson on Wednesday, but the shooter still not identified remains at large. |
| 0:19.3 | What has become clear from online postings amid |
| 0:21.3 | horror at the cold-blooded murder is public frustration with health insurance companies. A river |
| 0:27.2 | of angry postings is flowing about deductibles and bureaucratic nightmares involving |
| 0:31.6 | health care bills. Now here is some data. A KFF survey in 2023 found while most insured adults give health insurance positive ratings, people in worse health give worse ratings. |
| 0:43.3 | Also nearly half of the insured with problems said they were unable to resolve issues with one in six saying they could not get recommended care. |
| 0:51.2 | In this moment, a separate big health insurer has rolled back a highly criticized |
| 0:55.3 | change in policy. Marketplaces Kristen Schwab joins us. Now, Kristen, this involves Anthem, |
| 0:59.3 | Blue Cross, Blue Shield. In early November, Anthem announced that in some states, it would no longer |
| 1:04.6 | cover the full length of anesthesia during surgery if the procedure exceeds a certain time limit. |
| 1:10.1 | Soon after the announcement, the American |
| 1:11.3 | Society for Anesthesiologists called on Anthem to reverse the proposal immediately. |
| 1:16.7 | And yesterday one day after the CEO of the biggest health insurer, United Health was gunned down. |
| 1:21.8 | Anthem announces a policy reversal. Yes, and the killing of the United Healthcare CEO has put a spotlight on Anthem with |
| 1:29.2 | more backlash mounting online. In a statement, the insurer said its decision to reverse the policy |
| 1:34.2 | was because of significant widespread misinformation about it. Anthem said it never intended to not |
| 1:40.0 | pay for medically necessary services. And give us more on why experts were against that move in the |
| 1:45.7 | first place. So one of the many factors in anesthesia care is the amount of time care is delivered. |
| 1:51.3 | Anthem said it would use standards to set limits for surgeries. But experts said that this is just |
| 1:55.7 | not how things work in the operating room, that it would put stress on providers and patients, |
| 2:00.5 | and that Anthem had |
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