A message left at the scene of a health insurance executive’s fatal shooting – “deny,” “defend” and “depose” – echoes a phrase commonly used to describe insurer tactics to avoid paying claims.
The three words were written on the ammunition a masked gunman used to kill UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, according to two law enforcement officials who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity on Thursday (Dec 5).
The three words are similar to the phrase “delay, deny, defend” – the way some attorneys describe how insurers deny services and payment, and the title of a 2010 book that was highly critical of the industry.
While police have not officially commented on the wording or any connection between them and the common phrase, they released a new security camera picture on Thursday of the man believed to have shot Thompson, 50, at close range outside a Manhattan hotel.
The latest picture, in which the suspect’s face is uncovered and he is smiling or laughing, indicated progress in the manhunt for the man who fled on foot before mounting an electric bike and riding into Central Park.
Based on surveillance video and evidence from the scene, investigators believe the shooter had at least some firearms training and experience with guns and that the weapon was equipped with a silencer, one of the law enforcement officials told AP.
Police have also searched a hostel on Manhattan’s Upper West Side where the suspect is believed to have been staying, CNN reported.
A motive has not yet been publicly identified, but Thompson appears to have been deliberately targeted, according to investigators.
Thompson’s shooting and the messages found on the ammunition have since sparked outrage on social media and elsewhere, reflecting a deepening frustration Americans have over the cost and complexity of getting care.
What does the phrase mean?
“Delay, deny, defend” has become something of a rallying cry for insurance critics. The terms refer to insurers delaying payment on claims, denying claims and defending their actions.
The phrase has been used to describe many types of insurers – auto, property, and health.
“The longer they can delay and deny the claim, the longer they can hold onto their money and they’re not paying it out,” said Lea Keller, managing partner at Lewis and Keller, a North Carolina-based personal-injury law firm.
“Delay, Deny, Defend” is also the title of a 2010 book by Jay Feinman that delves into how insurers handle claims.
“All insurance companies have an incentive to chisel their customers in order to increase profits,” says an excerpt on the book’s website.
