United Healthcare CEO shot to death in front of NYC investor meeting

[byates1]

[Trackhead]

What percentage of ppl w health problems are caused by their own horrible care of themselves?

Of course care for a child or person w a random problem should be paramount. Should any care be available to me if I choose to drink smoke eat horrifically etc? Seems like millions of cases of poor health are ppl doing it to themselves, myself included. I could eat way better.

I had Hodgkins Lymphoma. Spent my life trying to be healthy. Don’t smoke, drink, or do drugs. I used to be a foodie nut case.

Treatment was over a million bucks. Of course my insurance covered it minus out of pocket max.

My care team had to go through prior authorization hoop jumping to get me approved for Brentuximab, a more expensive, more effective, less pulmonary toxic med. Also had to hoop jumping for a med that would help me have some semblance of an immune system. One shot in my stomach cost $5000. Had to do it after every chemo. $60,000 total.

Insurance could have denied any of that, but the oncology pharmacist and oncologist worked for me to get it approved. I do that for my patients all the time, too. It’s a huge fucking pain in the ass.

We also have to do “peer to peer” case reviews for insurance to cover some hospitalizations. Basically they hire some prick flunky doc to deny everything and I have to call this asshole and argue why we admitted grandma with pneumonia or whatever else.

Fuck United Healthcare. Maybe this guys death will do the world some good. That’s about the only good thing that could come of it.

Healthcare is so expensive here largely because administrators out number clinicians by a huge margin. It takes so many non-clinical admin to navigate our stupid bullshit system.

/end rant

[The Nuclear Option]

Here’s a story a friend told me recently. Their cousin was a raging alcoholic and destroyed his liver. Had to have regular liver dialysis and was waiting on the liver transplant list but basically at deaths door. Boom! He gets lucky and a suitable donor found and gets a new liver transplanted!!!! A new man, totally healthy and a new lease on life.

Fast forward a few years and he’s destroyed his new liver with drinking and basically back to where was.

What percentage of ppl w health problems are caused by their own horrible care of themselves?

Of course care for a child or person w a random problem should be paramount. Should any care be available to me if I choose to drink smoke eat horrifically etc? Seems like millions of cases of poor health are ppl doing it to themselves, myself included. I could eat way better.

[dan_pdx]

I thought that the transplant system was designed to put anyone who wouldn't quit drinking at the button of the waiting list

[byates1]

I had Hodgkins Lymphoma. Spent my life trying to be healthy. Don’t smoke, drink, or do drugs. I used to be a foodie nut case.

Treatment was over a million bucks. Of course my insurance covered it minus out of pocket max.

My care team had to go through prior authorization hoop jumping to get me approved for Brentuximab, a more expensive, more effective, less pulmonary toxic med. Also had to hoop jumping for a med that would help me have some semblance of an immune system. One shot in my stomach cost $5000. Had to do it after every chemo. $60,000 total.

Insurance could have denied any of that, but the oncology pharmacist and oncologist worked for me to get it approved. I do that for my patients all the time, too. It’s a huge fucking pain in the ass.

We also have to do “peer to peer” case reviews for insurance to cover some hospitalizations. Basically they hire some prick flunky doc to deny everything and I have to call this asshole and argue why we admitted grandma with pneumonia or whatever else.

Fuck United Healthcare. Maybe this guys death will do the world some good. That’s about the only good thing that could come of it.

Healthcare is so expensive here largely because administrators out number clinicians by a huge margin. It takes so many non-clinical admin to navigate our stupid bullshit system.

/end rant

On point as usual. Your case is exactly why great healthcare should be available. Not to mention you work hard raise a family etc. Not some pile.

Most ppl take absolute horrible care of themselves. Merica. Had I continued to drink 10-12, 6.7 IPAs a day I'd be a medical case by now. Wouldn't have sought care though. Just would have died.

If we as a nation and a species tightened our game we could solve it. Buttfuckit, cigs, vape, jack, and mcdanks are what I want baby.

[Cisco Kid]

I know people who don't want to pay to save the reckless dumb ass who decides to ski off piste. So there's that. IMHO, they are fools that lean towards having narcissistic personalities. Like most 3 old when told to share their cookies until we train them to be a part of a lager society.

[The Nuclear Option]

I dont know the details but he may have quit until he got the liver then…Party Time!!!!

I thought that the transplant system was designed to put anyone who wouldn't quit drinking at the button of the waiting list

[Buzzworthy]

I thought that the transplant system was designed to put anyone who wouldn't quit drinking at the button of the waiting list

It is. Each state does have their own protocols but I now know way more about this than I ever wanted to for liver patients waiting for a transplant in AZ.

[bennymac]

United Healthcare CEO shot to death in front of NYC investor meeting

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/06/m...e=articleShare

“A Guy I Know Had a Liver Transplant. Now He’s Boozing Again

The magazine’s Ethicist columnist on how to support someone with an addiction problem.”

^this was this week’s ethical dilemma in the NYT

[bennymac]

Anyone who thinks there is a simple and feasible answer to how to pay for bad luck medical issues but not for “lifestyle choices” must have drank too many IPAs in their youth.

As already mentioned “I’m not paying for your heart attack since you eat at McDonalds” =
“I’m not paying for your broken leg because you skied down something above your ability level”

Hmm how would those decisions get made? Probably by a group of accountants with minimal medical backgrounds who would deny all claims at first and make you justify why you deserve coverage…shit this sounds familiar…

[Trackhead]

Nobody should worry about $$ when they have a life threatening illness. It’s worse than the illness (was in my case anyway).

A CEO shouldn’t make 10 whatever million while everyone else is trying to pay their ever rising premiums with shittier coverage year over year.

[bennymac]

United Healthcare CEO shot to death in front of NYC investor meeting

Trackhead - glad you got the treatment you needed. Sounds like you had good people in your corner fighting for your cause (as you’ve done for others)

Having gone through this you have a window into what a patient who isn’t a health professional is up against - which will serve your own patients well when you advocate for them and help them navigate the system.

But it’s sad to think about those who don’t have good people in their corner and have no idea what treatments they are being denied.

This is not intended as a guilt trip for you getting your treatment. All you can do as one person is fight for yourself and your patients to receive the best appropriate care (and vote for people trying to make things better)

[evasive_MT]

I had Hodgkins Lymphoma. Spent my life trying to be healthy. Don’t smoke, drink, or do drugs. I used to be a foodie nut case.
/end rant

My wife could have written this. She has one more treatment to go in 11 days. BCBS MT has been pretty good- the best advice she got from a survivor was to call and request a case manager.

[TBS]

Like Trackhead’s case, UHC initially denied Ms TBS’ chemotherapy drug cocktail. Her Doc said it was a common occurrence, even though the drug in question is standard care in her situation, and they have extra staff just to deal with UHC’s bullshit.

They got it approved the day before she started infusions. So she got what was medically recommended but there was a fair amount of stress/anxiety over this on top of an already stressful situation.

Yeah fuck United Healthcare

[The Nuclear Option]

Hah! I wonder if it’s the same person? Or is this somewhat common for alcoholics?

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/06/m...e=articleShare

“A Guy I Know Had a Liver Transplant. Now He’s Boozing Again

The magazine’s Ethicist columnist on how to support someone with an addiction problem.”

^this was this week’s ethical dilemma in the NYT