Delay Deny Defend: Why Insurance Companies Don’t Pay Claims and What You Can Do About It
The brazen slaying of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in midtown Manhattan has sent shockwaves through the insurance industry. The chilling words “deny,” “defend,” and “depose” written on shell casings found at the scene eerily echo the title of a 2010 book, “Delay Deny Defend,” which exposes the tactics insurance companies use to avoid paying claims.
UnitedHealthcare, the largest private health insurance payer in the United States, has been at the center of controversy over its high rate of denial of health-care claims. The company’s CEO, Brian Thompson, was fatally shot outside a Hilton Hotel in midtown Manhattan early Wednesday morning. The shooter remains at large, fleeing the scene on a bicycle into nearby Central Park.
Thompson, a 50-year-old married father of two sons, was about to walk into the hotel for a UnitedHealth investor meeting when he was gunned down. Three spent 9mm shell casings and three live rounds were found at the scene.
The incident has raised questions about the motives behind the shooting and the potential impact on the insurance industry. The book “Delay Deny Defend” sheds light on the tactics insurance companies use to avoid paying claims, including delaying and denying claims, and defending against lawsuits.