Healthcare Is a Right: CEO’s Killing Ignites Calls for Reform Amid Trump’s Plan to Privatize Medicare

After Luigi Mangione was charged with murder for the killing of UnitedHealthcare executive Brian Thompson, many offered condolences to Thompson’s loved ones while also expressing outrage over the state of healthcare in the United States with more than 100 million people now facing medical debt. In Part 2 of our interview with former healthcare executive Wendell Potter, now an advocate for reform, he says the murder of Thompson “was a horrible crime, but it is important to point out that violent crime is perpetuated by these companies in an anonymous way every single day when an untold number of Americans are told they are not going to get the care they need.” Some doctors have referred to this as a “moral injury” they face on the job. Potter urges lawmakers to seize the opportunity to move forward with far-reaching reforms. “Every person should get care when they need it, no matter the cost,” adds Derrick Crowe of the People’s Action Institute, which runs the Care Over Cost campaign, helping people fight back against health insurance claims denials. He also discusses Project 2025 plans for Medicare and Trump’s plans to expand Medicare Advantage and hand over more of Medicare to companies just like UCH.

This content originally appeared on Democracy Now! Audio and was authored by Democracy Now!.