(Reuters) – The suspect in the slaying of UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: ) executive Brian Thompson was not a health insurance customer, several media outlets reported, citing a company spokesman.
Ivy League-educated Luigi Mangione was charged with manslaughter for killing Thompson on Dec. 9 in a brazen shooting outside a Manhattan hotel outside an industry conference, following a five-day manhunt.
UnitedHealth did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the news, which was reported by Bloomberg and NBC, among others.
A New York Times (NYSE: ) OPINION On Friday, UnitedHealth CEO Andrew Witt mourned Thompson’s killing and said he understood the public’s frustration with the “flawed” US health care system.
“No one would design a system like we have. And no one ever did. It’s a patchwork built over decades,” Witt wrote.
The killing has sparked outrage among Americans who struggle to get and pay for health care, and brought new attention to deepening resentment over health coverage.
Vitti said he and his colleagues were “struggling to make sense of this dishonest behavior and the vitriol that was directed at our colleagues who were threatened.”
Recent data shows that patients are now more likely to have their claims denied, pay higher premiums and doctor visits, and face unexpected costs for care they thought was covered by their health plan.
“Health care is both intensely personal and very complex, and the reasons behind coverage decisions are not well understood,” Vitti said.
“We share some of the responsibility for this. Along with employers, governments and others who pay for care, we need to improve how we define what insurance covers and how decisions are made.”
Insurers say they are working to reduce increased fees for doctors and hospitals, as well as expensive drugs and medical devices.
The New York Times reported that an internal NYPD report that analyzed a document found on Mangion when he was arrested concluded that he viewed the killing as a justified response to corruption in the health care industry.