Tragedy exposes crisis in health care

The murder of UnitedHealthcare chief executive Brian Thompson is a terrible tragedy that merits unequivocal condemnation. In parallel, the outpouring of rage following this tragedy points to a more profound crisis that must be addressed: the broken relationship between patients and the health care insurance industry. Resentment and despair run deep among many Americans who feel trapped in a system seemingly designed not to work.

I know this pain firsthand. My son, Eli, has FOXG1 syndrome, a rare and debilitating brain disease. He can’t walk, talk, or care for himself. The process of securing the care he needs has been a nightmare. Requests for vital medical equipment, therapies, and procedures have been routinely denied or delayed, often leaving us with two options: drain our savings or battle through an opaque, exhausting appeals process. We’re not alone in this fight — millions of families like ours are being crushed under the weight of a system that rewards profits over care.

Across the country, the stories are heartbreakingly familiar. Cancer patients fighting for access to lifesaving medications only to be told they're "experimental." Parents of children with disabilities scrambling to get coverage for essential therapies, only to have their appeals rejected. Grieving families burdened with insurmountable debt because their loved one’s emergency surgery was deemed "out of network." These are not isolated incidents — they are harsh reality for too many people who rely on an insurance system that treats them as numbers rather than human beings.

What can be done?

First, we have to humanize the processes that dictate who gets medical care and how. This means prioritizing clear, compassionate and simple communication between insurers and individuals, ensuring patients feel heard and supported throughout the coverage process. By fostering relationships with patients, embracing empathy, and empowering front line workers to advocate for individuals, the industry can shift from a transactional model to one centered on care and trust with better long-term outcomes — and we should find ways to reward companies that take reasonable steps to do so.

Second, the federal government must provide stricter oversight of insurance practices. We need clearer, fairer guidelines for claim adjudication and pre-authorizations. Insurance companies should face consequences for arbitrary denials and delays as determined by neutral third parties. Patients need stronger advocates in their corner, whether through independent review boards, expanded roles for state insurance commissioners, or ombudsman offices dedicated to health care disputes. Review and appeal periods should be shortened.

Third, we must increase industry transparency. Insurance companies should be required to regularly report denial rates, average pre-authorization timelines, and the outcomes of appeals. This would help identify patterns of abuse and foster accountability.

Finally, we must address the fundamental question of why insurance companies wield so much power over medical decision-making in the first place. Decisions about what treatments are necessary should rest with doctors and patients, not faceless bureaucracies.

Brian Thompson’s family deserves compassion and support as they grieve. At the same time, the anger that has been unleashed in response to this tragedy must serve as a wake-up call. The health care insurance system is broken, and the cost of its dysfunction is measured not just in dollars but in lives.

It’s time for government leaders, health care providers, and insurance companies to come together and fix a system that is failing the people it is supposed to serve.

This guest essay reflects the views of Scott D. Reich, an author and Port Washington father who cofounded the nonprofit Believe in a Cure, which works to develop a treatment for the rare disease that afflicts his son.