NEW YORK — Brian Thompson ran one of the largest health insurers in the United States, but he was unknown to the millions of people affected by his decisions.
Then, on Wednesday, the fatal shooting of the UnitedHealthcare CEO, in a targeted killing on a sidewalk in midtown Manhattan, thrust the executive and his company into the national spotlight.
Thompson, 50, had led the insurance arm of giant UnitedHealth Group Inc. since 2021 and had been with the company for 20 years. He previously led the Medicare and retirement business.
As CEO, Thompson led a company that provided health coverage to more than 49 million Americans, more than the population of Spain. United is the largest provider of Medicare Advantage plans, the private versions of the U.S. government’s Medicare program for people ages 65 and older. The company also sells individual insurance and administers health insurance coverage for thousands of employers and state and federally funded Medicaid programs.
The Thompson-led company generated $281 billion in revenue last year, making it the largest subsidiary of Minnetonka, Minn.-based UnitedHealth Group. His annual compensation of $10.2 million, including salary, bonus and stock options, made him one of the company’s highest-paid executives.
The University of Iowa graduate began his career as a CPA at Pricewaterhouse Coopers and had little name recognition beyond the industry. Even for investors who own its shares, the face of the parent company belonged to CEO Andrew Witty, a knighted British triathlete who testified before Congress.
Thompson’s few moments of public attention contrasted with his role in overhauling the way Americans get health care.
At an investor meeting last year, he highlighted his company’s shift toward “value-based care,” paying doctors and other caregivers to keep patients healthy, rather than focus on their treatment when they become ill.
“Health care should be easier for people,” Thompson said at the time. “We are aware of the challenges. But navigating a future through value-based care paves the way for a situation in which the family does not have to make decisions alone.
Thompson also gained attention in 2021 when the insurer, like its competitors, was widely criticized for its plan to begin denying payment for what it considered non-critical visits to hospital emergency rooms.
“Patients are not medical experts and should not be expected to self-diagnose during what they believe to be a medical emergency,” the American Hospital Association CEO wrote in an open letter to Thompson. “Threatening patients with a financial penalty if they make a bad decision could have a deterrent effect on seeking emergency care. »
United Healthcare responded by delaying the rollout of the change.
Thompson was scheduled to speak at an investors’ meeting when he was shot to death around 6:45 a.m. outside the New York Hilton Midtown by a masked assailant who fled on foot, New York police said.
Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said investigators are reviewing Thompson’s social media accounts and interviewing employees and family members. He said Thompson left the hotel alone.
“He didn’t seem to be in any trouble at all,” Kenny said. “He had no security.”
AP reporter Michael R. Sisak contributed to this report.
This story corrects the style of the company name to UnitedHealthcare.
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