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Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield makes major U-turn following the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson Follow all the latest news and updates in the manhunt for UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson's killer By JOE HUTCHISON FOR DAILYMAIL.COM Published: 22:31 GMT, 5 December 2024 | Updated: 23:27 GMT, 5 December 2024 e-mail View comments Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield have reversed a policy change that would have seen them tie payments in some states to the length of time a patient went under anesthesia . The insurance company, which is one of the largest health insurance companies in the country, backtracked on the move following widespread outcry. Their decision came just a day after UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was shot dead in Manhattan on Wednesday morning. In a statement the company said: 'To be clear, it never was and never will be the policy of Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield to not pay for medically necessary anesthesia services. 'The proposed update to the policy was only designed to clarify the appropriateness of anesthesia consistent with well-established clinical guidelines.' The company would have used 'physician work time values,' which is published by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, as the metric for anesthesia limits, with maternity patients and patients under the age of 22 were exempt. Last month, the American Society for Anesthesiologists called on Anthem to 'reverse the proposal immediately'. Thompson was named UnitedHealthcare CEO in 2021 and earned a reported $10 million a year, and for several years prior he ran the Medicare business within UnitedHealthcare. The insurance company, which is one of the largest health insurance companies in the country, backtracked on the move following widespread outcry Their decision came just a day after UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, seen here, was shot dead in Manhattan on Wednesday morning He was slated to speak at an investor meeting at the Hilton Hotel soon after the shooting on Wednesday morning. According to a release from United Healthcare on Tuesday, he would announce the company's hugely profitable 2025 financial outlook, including expected revenues upwards of $450 billion. UnitedHealthCare had hired security for their top executives with Thompson having his own security detail for the event who were absent when he was gunned down. As news of his assassination circulated on Wednesday morning, many major healthcare providers beefed up their personal protection for their top execs, according to CNN. Former Washington Post journalist Taylor Lorenz sparked outrage after she shared information and a picture of Blue Cross CEO Kim Keck online following the news. Lorenz insisted she posted the information on her social media page for people to write in to 'peacefully' to complain, adding: 'And people wonder why we want these execs dead.' Authorities say the gunman fled the scene on foot before then making a getaway on an electric bike into nearby Central Park. Surveillance footage of the shooting shows Thompson walking alone outside of the entrance to the midtown hotel when the gunman steps into frame and opens fire. The terrifying video shows the masked killer draw out a large gun and shoot Thompson in the back, sending the CEO stumbling down the street as he continues to fire. As Thompson stumbled down the street, a witness in the hotel's entryway sprinted away The New York Police Department released the above image on Thursday of the main suspect Your browser does not support iframes. As the manhunt extended into its second day on Thursday, officers said they had searched Long Island Rail Road train the day previously after receiving a tip the killer was onboard. The tip turned out to be a dead-end, however law enforcement officials urged the public to continue offering tips to aid their ongoing manhunt. Investigators also believe that the killer left his personal phone at the scene, and not a burner as had been initially reported. Authorities also swooped on the HI New York City Hostel in Manhattan's Upper West Side where the suspect is believed to have stayed. He is thought to have stayed in the shared room facility on Tuesday evening, and checked in with a fake ID from New Jersey. The weapon used in the shooting is also now believed to have been a modern version of a rare World War II gun. Sources told The New York Post that detectives are focusing their efforts on a Connecticut gun store they believe sold the B&T VP9 gun. The weapon used in the shooting is also now believed to have been a modern version of a rare World War II gun, seen here Members of the New York police crime scene unit photograph bullets lying on the sidewalk as they investigate the scene outside the Hilton Hotel Bullets lie on the sidewalk at the scene outside the Hilton Hotel in midtown Manhattan where Thompson was fatally shot Detectives investigating the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson also found shell casings with the words 'deny', 'defend' and 'depose' inscribed on them. Detectives are now working to determine what the words mean and if they could possibly hint at a motive for the slaying of the 50-year-old. Thompson's family left a note on the door of their Minnesota mansion describing the exec as an 'incredibly loving, generous, talented man'. Newly appointed police commissioner Jessica Tisch said the shooter appeared to be 'lying in wait for several minutes' before approaching Thompson. Tisch added: 'Many people passed the suspect, but he appeared to wait for his intended target', and said that it did not 'appear to be a random act of violence'. Authorities also swooped on the HI New York City Hostel, seen here, in Manhattan's Upper West Side where the suspect is believed to have stayed 'From watching the video, it does seem that he's proficient in the use of firearms as he was able to clear the malfunctions pretty quickly,' NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said. His schedule was widely known, and witnesses have said the suspected gunman even knew which door Thompson was going to emerge from before opening fire. Still, the investor conference reportedly began without interruption at 8am on the second floor of the Hilton until news of the shooting began to circulate. Without knowing it was Thompson who was hit, one attendee told the group that 'someone got shot outside.' CEO of parent company United Healthgroup Andrew Witty is said to have halted the meeting at the hotel just after 8am upon hearing of the tragedy . He told attendees: 'We're dealing with a very serious medical situation with one of our team members. As a result, I'm afraid, we're going to have to bring to a close the event.' Brian Thompson Share or comment on this article: Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield makes major U-turn following the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson e-mail Add comment
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The Titans have issues to fix and hope to keep slim playoff hopes alive when they host the JagsIron ore futures prices slid on Thursday as investor sentiment dampened after statemedia in top consumer China emphasized qualitative improvements ahead of a long-anticipated meeting that is expected to set the tone for economic growth next year. The most-traded January iron ore contract on China’s Dalian Commodity Exchange (DCE) ended daytime trade 1.17% lower at 800.5 yuan ($110.14) a metric ton. The benchmark January iron ore SZZFF5 on the Singapore Exchange was down 1.51% at $103.75 a ton, as of 0700 GMT. China is not wedded to achieving specific GDP growth rates, and a pace of less than 5% for the economy is acceptable as there is no need for the “worship of speed”, state newspaper People’s Daily said on Wednesday. China’s Central Economic Work Conference will meet this month, at a yet-to-be-announced date, and top leaders will set economic growth targets and plan next year’s agenda. Investors and traders had been expecting Beijing to roll out more stimulus, said analysts. “We think iron ore is currently overvalued. Therefore, a downward correction is unavoidable,” said Cheng Peng, an analyst at Sinosteel Futures. The anticipation of growing shipments, driven by rebounding prices and some miners’ motivation to meet annual targets, is also weighing on prices, said analysts. China’s Dalian Commodity Exchange said on Wednesday it would lower the daily price limits, or the maximum trading range, to 9% from 11% and adjust trade margins for speculative transactions to 11% from 15%, effective from the settlement on Dec. 6. “The move will increase speculative transactions, which will likely lift price volatility,” analysts at Jinyuan Futures said in a note. Expectations of winter stocking among steelmakers and resilient demand in winter had pushed prices of the key steelmaking ingredient up by nearly 2% from Monday to Wednesday. Other steelmaking ingredients on the DCE fell, with coking coal DJMcv1 and coke DCJcv1 down 2.42% and 0.96%, respectively. Steel benchmarks on the Shanghai Futures Exchange were weaker. Rebar SRBcv1 lost 1.41%, hot-rolled coil SHHCcv1 shed 1.53%, wire rod SWRcv1 slipped 2.59% andstainless steel SHSScv1 slid 2.02%. Source: Reuters (Reporting by Amy Lv and Mei Mei Chu; Editing by Savio D’Souza and Janane Venkatraman)GOP chairman says he’s a ‘big AOC fan,’ supports her bid to be top Democrat on Oversight Committee