The first Trump administration’s surgeon general, Jerome Adams, is sounding the alarm over popular discontent with the healthcare industry after the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
In an interview with Politico, Adams expressed concern that the killing reflected a destruction of trust in U.S. healthcare institutions. He urged immediate action to restore people’s faith in the system, including government intervention.
“When individuals resort to violence, it signals a profound loss of confidence in structures that are meant to support and protect the public,” he said. “This eroded trust leads to people feeling hesitant to seek care, fearing that they might not receive the treatment that they deserve, or that their concerns will not be taken seriously when they come in for care. It’s crucial that we are having this conversation and that we work to rebuild trust, through transparency, through accountability, and through a commitment to patient-centered care.”
Adams argued that if action isn’t taken immediately, the situation could get even worse.
“Insurers absolutely cannot ignore this moment. Several things have to happen,” he said. “Some actions are going to have to be taken by government, some by insurers, some by providers. But obviously in the crosshairs right now — that’s a terrible way of putting it, but it’s also a literal way of putting it — are the insurers.”
“You can’t ignore the fact that companies like United and Anthem are literally making billions of dollars of profit,” Adams added.
He expressed hope that the current anti-establishment sentiment of President-elect Donald Trump’s Republican Party could be translated into eschewing a previous distaste for regulation. He pointed to bipartisan efforts to increase transparency of pricing, lower prescription drug costs, and the will to combat the opioid epidemic and mental health crisis as promising signs.
“Ultimately, no matter whether it’s a Republican or a Democratic administration, they aren’t going to be able to do their job if the public doesn’t feel that they can trust institutions such as the government — and such as insurance companies — who hold so much power,” Adams said.
He shared his own frustration with medical costs, recalling a brief visit to the hospital for dehydration that ended in a $10,000 bill.
Adams concluded by saying the murder of Thompson reflected much deeper problems than just healthcare policies.
“It reflects broader societal issues. Populism and the anti-government sentiment that’s being stoked. Frustration and anger. And rising loneliness and isolation. Rising suicide rates. Rising depression. Rising anxiety. Mental health has long been neglected. The consequences can be dire,” he said.
The killing of Thompson has sparked public debate about the healthcare industry, especially after the murder was met with praise from many. An Emerson College poll found that 41% of 18-29-year-old voters believe the killing was somewhat or completely acceptable, compared to 40% who believed it was somewhat or completely unacceptable. Another 19% were neutral.
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Social media users, most of whom appear to be young, have inundated the internet with memes mocking Thompson and praising suspect Luigi Mangione.
Mangione was arrested at a Pennsylvania McDonald’s after a five-day manhunt. Authorities are looking to extradite him to New York, where the crime was committed and where he is wanted for murder in the second degree, criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree, and criminal possession of a forged instrument in the second degree.