Theories swirl about motive for UnitedHealth CEO Brian Thompson’s murder

As New York City Police Department officers continue the search for the man suspected of shooting UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson dead, theories about a possible motive are circulating online.

Thompson was killed outside a Hilton hotel in midtown Manhattan Wednesday morning, where he was due to speak at the healthcare company’s annual investor conference.

Police have said the shooting was likely a “premediated, targeted attack”, with the company’s claim denials and a Department of Justice investigation among the potential reasons put forward on social media.

A manhunt is now underway as police search for the suspect, who fled the scene. Authorities are offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to an arrest.

“Deny,” “Defend,” “Depose” Found on Bullets in Brian Thompson’s murder

Reports emerged Thursday morning that messages had been found on shell casings recovered from the scene on Sixth Avenue.

According to ABC News, citing police sources, the words “deny,” “defend” and “depose” were written on the casings.

Following the report, social media users linked the words to a book published in 2010 by insurance law expert Professor Jay M. Feinman titled: Delay, Deny, Defend: Why Insurance Companies Don’t Pay Claim and What You Can Do About It.

Newsweek reached out to the NYPD for comment Thursday morning. An official link between the book and the reported messages was not immediately available.

The DOJ was investigating Brian Thompson at the time of his murder

A class action lawsuit was filed in May, accusing Thompson and three other UnitedHealth Group executives of insider trading.

The filing with the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) alleged that Thompson and others dumped millions of dollars’ worth of stock while the company was involved in an antitrust investigation.

Plaintiff City of Hollywood Firefighters’ Pension Fund said the healthcare company was aware of the DOJ investigation, but leadership did not tell shareholders.

“Instead of disclosing this material investigation to investors or the public, UnitedHealth insiders sold more than $120 million of their personally held UnitedHealth shares,” the suit read.

The DOJ then announced the probe, seeking to block UnitedHealth Group’s purchase of rival companies.

While UnitedHealth dropped its bids for Stewardship Health Inc. and a related company in July, the DOJ announced a similar probe in mid-November, over plans to buy rival home health and hospice provider Amedisys Inc.

UnitedHealth’s denial rates under scrutiny

Another potential motive, floated online and by a former FBI assistant director, is that the suspect may have been denied coverage by the insurance provider.

UnitedHealthcare, the largest health benefits provider in the U.S., has faced increasing scrutiny for its claim denial rate.

The industry average is around 16 percent, but according to The Boston Globe, UnitedHealthcare’s denial rate was at 32 percent in 2023.

“UnitedHealthcare has 1.7 million insured people and many are upset with the denial of coverage,” Frank Figliuzzi, former FBI assistant director, told Newsweek.

Over 100 demonstrators protested at the company’s headquarters in Minnetonka, Minnesota, in April—where Thompson was based—claiming that the company was denying legitimate insurance claims.

The New York City Police Department had not announced a motive at time of publishing.