By Darryl Mayes
The murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was a terrible tragedy and should be roundly condemned by every decent-hearted person on this planet.
News reports indicate that the suspect in this murder, Maryland native Luigi Mangione, had some unresolved healthcare issues that precipitated his anger toward the health insurance industry and, subsequently, his decision to allegedly kill an innocent family man in cold blood.
I myself have had some issues with the health insurance industry lately. And though my experiences certainly pale in comparison to others who have undergone much weightier and life-threatening issues, they caused me to identify with Luigi and those like him who believe there are deep problems with the health insurance industry and healthcare in general in the United States.
I recently left a long-time job in which I was receiving health insurance partially paid for by my employer. The total amount of my monthly health insurance deduction was $150.00 per month for one single person. However, several days after my last day on the job, I received a COBRA (Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act) letter offering me the opportunity to continue my health care coverage by paying the full amount of that coverage. Now, it is not surprising to many people, including me, that COBRA coverage is expensive. I expected $500 per month, maybe $600 at the most. Without that COBRA coverage, I would no longer have insurance.
To continue my coverage, the insurance company wanted to charge me $1300 per month. And that was just for one person. So, I can imagine how much it would cost for family coverage. The fact that I would be charged an amount that probably 2/3 of Americans cannot afford to pay is appalling. Is this how much it costs to be able to see a doctor a few times per year?
That wasn’t the end of it. I also needed a prescription refill which, prior to my insurance ending, cost me $10.00 for a 90-day supply. After my insurance ended, that cost went up to $460.00. The high cost was a culture shock for me but certainly not for many Americans who have to pay double, triple, maybe even more than that cost for their medications. To this date, I have not been able to get my medications. I still have a 30-day supply left, so I have some time to figure it out.
Both of these experiences happened before the murder of Thompson. And when I heard why the murder may have been committed, I began to understand the accused’s anger. I can understand his pain (mentally, not physically). His frustration became real to me. I began to identify with him. I am not alone. Many other Americans, perhaps even someone who is reading this, began to identify with him.
What I cannot identify with is his method of addressing the situation. Although it has certainly ignited a conversation about healthcare, killing an innocent man, no matter how much he may have profited from his business, is not the solution.
Yet as I write this, some Americans, rather than wanting the suspect to be vilified, want him to be vindicated. There are crowdfunding campaigns to help him pay for his legal fees. There are fan pages being set up. And social media is abuzz with “the end justifies the means” declarations, lionizing the accused and even going so far as to thank him.
What has our country come to?
As a Christian, sometimes I struggle with how to respond when our world seems to go batty. I want to find and adhere to a redemptive solution while not becoming part of the problem. The problem is not only the willingness to commit murder out of anger and frustration and the willingness of third parties to justify that kind of action but also the issues that drive people to such desperate actions. It is true that we have a big problem with healthcare in this country. Other countries, such as Brazil, South Korea, Canada, and Australia, among others, have free universal healthcare regardless of income. Though the implementation may vary from country to country, the fact is that these countries do not have healthcare systems that are profit driven. When it comes to the health of their citizens, the bottom line is not, and should never be, a driving concern.
We should pray for the family and friends of Brian Thompson. We should call on the Lord to touch the hearts of those who feel driven to commit such acts, and for those who support them. And we should pray for Luigi Mangione. His pain is deeper than that in his back. His pain is soul-deep, and a true encounter with Jesus can restore his soul and his sanity. The response should be neither to vilify nor vindicate him, but to intercede and ask the Lord to help him find his God-given purpose in life, even if it has to happen behind prison walls.
But that isn’t all. Well-meaning Christians and churches should support those institutions that are striving to provide free and/or reduced-price healthcare, especially those institutions where not only physical health, but mental and spiritual health are a priority, not the profit and loss statement. These institutions welcome not only donations but volunteers.
We can also embrace and assist those in our communities who have healthcare issues. We can, according to our ability:
- Help pay for medicines for someone in our community who is struggling to afford them.
- Be proactive in seeking professional assistance for those who are suffering from mental health and are open to such assistance.
- Engage your faith community to provide wrap-around support to those with health issues.
- Spend time with them if the illness is not communicable. Sometimes the lack of human contact and interaction can exacerbate some illnesses.
- Regular prayer and anointing from the leaders of the church (James 5:14)
Those who are inclined to respond politically should contact their elected representatives and implore them to support and strengthen those initiatives to provide free or low-cost universal health care for all citizens. Profit-minded insurance companies should not be the healthcare gatekeepers in America. This is not a socialist effort but a saintly effort. Those who care about their citizens will not stand by and watch people die because they cannot afford medicine, or their insurance company will not pay for an operation that could save their lives. This is just plain common decency that everyone who worships Jesus should get behind.
But of course, our response should not only be treatment, but prevention. There are many opportunities for Christians and churches to be proactive by preaching and teaching practical and spiritual ways to maintain healthy lifestyles, reducing the chances of needing immediate or urgent healthcare.
I’m sure there are many other things that could be added to this list. But while we are and should condemn this senseless killing, we as Christians could further serve the Lord by turning the disdain we may feel about the healthcare industry into action that could help save lives.
“’I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’” (Matthew 25:36-40).