The response of health insurance CEOs to the shooting of Brian Thompson has made them leading contenders for the Lack of Self-Awareness Award 2024.
The US health insurance CEOs and senior executives were already in a strong position for the award, but with their recent reactions they have really smashed it. While the motives of the shooter are not known, the carving of the words “deny”, “defend” and “depose” on the bullet casings strongly hint at a motive. This suggests that it was either general anger at the tactics of health insurance companies, or anger at a decision that has impacted him personally. The general lack of sympathy for the deceased and many calling him a ‘hero’ should give the CEOs a good indication of how the public feel about them and how they run their companies.
One CEO has expressed anger at the audacity of the shooter, “How dare he kill someone. Killing people is our job with our AI driven algorithms denying treatment payments”. Of course they could have responded by reflecting on the public outrage at their treatment of customers over the decades. They could have considered reducing premiums (which are the most expensive in the world), treating customers fairly or even apologising for their cynical business practices.
Instead they have just increased their personal security. Of course this is the most cost effective solution compared to changing their business practices.
In a bizarre lack of self-awareness a former Cigna executive recalled, “We’d have times when you’d deny proton laser therapy for a kid with seizures and the parents would freak out “. Another executive was scathing of people sending threats, “What’s most disturbing is the ability of people to hide behind their keyboards and lose their humanity”.
All said with absolutely no irony or self-awareness. The award is well deserved.