The Failure, Fear, And Frenzy around Luigi Mangione

Hi Friends,

This week I wanted to share my thoughts on everything that is going on with Luigi Mangione and UnitedHealthcare. Most people already know the story but what I think few understand is the wider context of people’s anger at health insurance companies and they’re lifting up of someone they see as a vigilante.

Under Obamacare more people are insured than ever before. It getting passed meant companies could not deny you based on preexisting conditions or family history. Even with the coverage the actual likelihood of you paying into your health insurance and actually being insured when you need it is unreasonably low.

Doctors, labs, and hospitals are out of network depending on who you have and whether you have Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield, United Healthcare, Elevance, CVS Health, Kaiser Foundation, Humana, Centene Group, Cigna, or health care services corporation you are not immune to the possibility of having to pay more out of pocket than you can afford and being saddled with bills you have to fight with your insurance provider over.

All of us have to figure out a way forward. Some believe that it will be through legislation that curbed insurance companies ability to deny and delay claims until the problem, or the person, goes away.

Luigi has been hailed or condemned on Twitter, TikTok, YouTube, and Facebook by what feels like everyone in the United States.

Hit me on them internets:

Recorded at Soundstage in Baltimore, MD

[flowersafeheart]

"Yeah, I know he was a person. So was my cousin....I know about avoidable deaths. I'm a customer." Whew. That line is strong.

[monfisch]

As a nurse, we literally say under our breath, “oh crap, they have United.” I had one family, the wife came to pick up her husband’s belongings and she was in tears. The insurance completely abandoned them. I had one patient forced to go to a different, cheaper facility for rehab, despite living next to the in house rehab. United is something else.

[magnolia_g]

My Marty was Justin, my 44 year old husband who died of cancer this past April, while I was screaming at people on the phone for months instead of being a partner. Josh's take spoke way closer to how I've felt about this.
We became fans back when the catfisheing the kkk bit came out, and over the last year, Justin looked forward to the weekly YT drops, which coincided with chemo. It brought him some joy, thank you for that.

My first time going out since he passed is this Sunday's show, I'm bringing my employees... cause I hate being a boss, but try to be a good one. Here's to Marty and Justin

[yellowlynx]

I heard one YouTuber said, his cousin was killed by a mugger with a gun just for $20 and the cops simply didn't bother to track down the mugger, but this CEO, the whole NYPD was all over it.... that was another thing that pissed off people.

[FoolioBeardy]

"This man was a father, he was a husband — okay, so was Marty" — get 'em man

[MeloniousThunk]

So good. What everyone misses: Even being rich didn’t save Luigi from suffering horribly under the health insurance system in this country. He is all of us. Thanks Josh

[OldMotherLogo]

“Don’t mistake their self-preservation for empathy.”

[satyajitricha]

This is a TED talk on humanity, conscience and karma. Thank you, Josh.

[fi]

luigi's wealth speaks to the severity of the issue... if it's bad for somebody with that much privilege, it's bad for everyone.

[bluedancelilly]

United Healthcare's denial rate increased 3 times soon after Thompson became CEO and has the highest denial rate in the country. While Thompson made $10 million a year. Ain't nothin' innocent about that. He wasn't just one of the dudes, but probably the worst dude.

[edwardallenthree]

I'm just glad that we're all talking about health insurance.

[DocJones]

I’m 54. I think that I’m old enough to call him a young man. He’s part of the next generation. He tells deep stories. He kicks the truth. Watch over him. He’s special.

[mesadrums]

Say what you want but the bullet casings having “deny, delay, depose” written on them goes hard af, some Guy Fawkes level antics

[alexdodge]

I feel like Josh's comedy is half comedy, half essay, and it's such a unique vibe. I'm obsessed. I'd listen to this man talk about anything.

[GRSEMETROMALL]

I also applaud that he went straight to the policy maker and skipped all the entry level and middle management people.

[peggydetmers]

As a nanny in NY, and being a near 6' blonde, I was told by the mother employer, "You carry yourself with too much regal bearing, being that you are a pauper's daughter from the Midwest." So we people of the working classes, according to the rich, are not even allowed to carry ourselves with confidence. We are to be meek and mild shells of what we could be. We of the working classes MUST unite and stop allowing the rich to divide us along race, religious, political, and sex differences. There are more of us....a LOT more, than there are of them. We must demand an end to this rich man rule (oligarchy) right now.

[Anil]

"The backpack the shooter was wearing, sold out. Because, in America everything is an ad. Including murder. "
Mr. Johnson, you are a genius ❤❤❤

[Onora]

I’ve been going through some ptsd since he’s been shot.

This CEO delayed my mom’s treatment until she died. There are millions of people just like me wrestling with very complex grown up feelings right now.

Murder is wrong and all but CEO was a mass murderer. This murder has given many of us a sense of closure that we’re having difficulty reconciling themselves to.

[AndreaS-ueyt]

My daughter paid $222 for an inhaler for my 4 year old granddaughter yesterday. Something she has to have. She called me in frustration and almost in tears. Something has to change.

[klemmr]

This is possibly the tightest, best-timed and delivered comedy set I've seen in two decades.