re: UNH's UnitedHealth CEO shot and killed

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I think the deserves part depends on the circumstances. White collar crime (or even legal but unethical behavior) does cause morbidity and mortality measured across the affected population.

How you feel about the morality of responding to that reality with violence probably depends on how directly or personally affected you are by the criminal or unethical actors.

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It’s an interesting moral question. I think where I see a moral distinction is that on one side someone takes a direct action to violently murder someone vs. the insurance folks making a decision “not to save” someone. I can certainly see how someone whose family member died due to an insurance company’s unethical choice to be marginally more profitable could see that as a distinction without a difference. I would understand where they’re coming from, but still wouldn’t condone murder, as you said.

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Healthcare in America is largely expensive because of what providers and hospitals bill to insurance

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There are huge losses taken on a huge portion of our population. If we had the population health of say, Norway, our healthcare costs would be halved.

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How would you suggest they operate? They can't just say "We'll pay for everything all the time!". They wouldn't be able to exist. They have to have medical standards and gauge necessity of everything or people (and doctors) would just take advantage of the system constantly.

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There's probably no great answer but I can tell you that denying a patient's insurance claim because their surgeon took longer than some Excel table said they should've is a bad answer.

I'm not under the illusion that doctors are totally innocent in this entire charade, nor am I some antiwork weirdo that has a hate boner for any company that makes a profit; but if I'm forced to decide between a surgeon whose goal is to complete a surgery successfully and an exec whose goal is to maximize profits, I know which one I'm choosing. We're all essentially a number in an actuarial table, but if you treat someone like a number don't expect warm feelings back.

Hate to see it.
Meanwhile Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield Won’t Pay for the Complete Duration of Anesthesia for Patients’ Surgical Procedures

We're good

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I mean, there are cameras all over the place in NYC. Plus if he was dumb enough to bring his cell phone along, they might could trace that (although this guy seems relatively professional in killing people).

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That was a professional hit. That guy has disappeared like a fart in the wind. He gone.

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wasn't about making money, the smartest people wouldn't choose to become doctors.

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Hospitals and insurance companies are actually becoming less run by MD's and more run by MBA's and healthcare administrators. Compare the salaries of those folks making healthcare decisions via health insurance and the MD's and you'll see who is in charge, all at the cost of the patient.

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I spend a lot of time in the UK every year. It always surprises me how many people, who are in good shape, are walking with canes. You don’t see that in the US; they are getting hip or knee replacements here.

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You can get them there. You just have to have the cash. They have a great private system and it's much cheaper than ours because it's not burdened with gov't bullshite and indigent care. If you have the money, you can get whatever you want.

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If you have the money, you can get whatever you want.

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Of course, but most don’t have the money.