Just over a year before UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was murdered in Midtown Manhattan, a lawsuit against the insurance company highlighted the severity of its claims denial process. Filed last November in Minnesota, the estates of two former patients accused the insurer of using an AI algorithm, nH Predict, to deny claims previously approved by doctors for elderly patients. This algorithm allegedly had a 90 percent error rate, and the families claimed UnitedHealthcare was aware of this issue. As the lawsuit progressed, public frustration with the insurer's tendency to reject claims intensified.

Speculation about the motives of Thompson's killer suggests that this person might have been among those angered by such practices. Although the identity and reasons of the shooter remain unknown, reports indicate that they wrote "deny, " "defend, " and "depose" on the bullet casings used, suggesting a possible grievance against the insurance industry's aggressive claim denials. Public reaction to Thompson’s murder has been disturbingly celebratory, highlighting widespread anger toward the American insurance and healthcare system. According to The American Prospect, "only about 50 million customers of America’s reigning medical monopoly might have a motive to exact revenge upon the UnitedHealthcare CEO. " The troubling claims about the company's AI algorithm—about which the company has not provided an update despite inquiries—underscore why public resentment is so intense.