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Cory Doctorow's Prescient Novella About Health Insurance and Murder (theguardian.com) 87

Posted by BeauHD from the startling-parallels dept.
Five years ago, journalist and sci-fi author Cory Doctorow published a short story that explored the radicalization of individuals denied healthcare coverage. As The Guardian notes in a recent article, the story "might seem eerily similar" to the recent shooting of UnitedHealthcare's CEO. While it appears that the alleged shooter never read the story, Doctorow said: "I feel like the most important thing about that is that it tells you that this is not a unique insight." Doctorow continued: "that the question that I had is a question other people have had." As an activist in favor of liberalizing copyright laws and a proponent of the Creative Commons organization, it's important to note that Doctorow advocates for systemic reform through collective action rather than violence. Here's an excerpt from the The Guardian's article: In Radicalized, one of four novellas comprising a science fiction novel of the same name, Doctorow charts the journey of a man who joins an online forum for fathers whose partners or children have been denied healthcare coverage by their insurers after his wife is diagnosed with breast cancer and denied coverage for an experimental treatment. Slowly, over the course of the story, the men of the forum become radicalized by their grief and begin plotting -- and executing -- murders of health insurance executives and politicians who vote against universal healthcare.

In the wake of the December 4 shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, which unleashed a wave of outrage at the U.S. health system, Doctorow's novella has been called prescient. When the American Prospect magazine republished the story last week, it wrote: "It is being republished with permission for reasons that will become clear if you read it." But Doctorow doesn't think he was on to something that no one else in the U.S. understood. [...]

In one part of the story, a man whose young daughter died after an insurance company refused to pay for brain surgery bombs the insurer's headquarters. "It's not vengeance. I don't have a vengeful bone in my body. Nothing I do will bring Lisa back, so why would I want revenge? This is a public service. There's another dad just like me," he shares in a video message on the forum. "And right now, that dad is talking to someone at Cigna, or Humana, or BlueCross BlueShield, and the person on the phone is telling that dad that his little girl has. To. Die. Someone in that building made the decision to kill my little girl, and everyone else in that building went along with it. Not one of them is innocent, and not one of them is afraid. They're going to be afraid, after this."

"Because they must know in their hearts," he goes on. "Them, their lobbyists, the men in Congress who enabled them. They're parents. They know. Anyone who hurt their precious children, they'd hunt that person down like a dog. The only amazing thing about any of this is that no one has done it yet. I'm going to make a prediction right now, that even though I'm the first, I sure as hell will not be the last. There's more to come."

Cory Doctorow's Prescient Novella About Health Insurance and Murder More | Reply

Cory Doctorow's Prescient Novella About Health Insurance and Murder

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  • Luigi (Score:3, Insightful)

    by Anonymous Coward on Friday December 20, 2024 @09:16PM (#65029883)

    Is not a threat to me or anyone I know.

    The state is even trying to use the death penalty and terrorism charges. They don't even give that to people who shoot up schools or churches.

    They know how he's dangerous to the ruling class and an example has to be made.

    I pray he gets a series of mistrials and the charges dropped.

    • Re: (Score:3, Insightful)

      by ArmoredDragon ( 3450605 )

      Is not a threat to me or anyone I know.

      Anybody who can just walk up to somebody they've never met and shoot them in the back is probably not the kind of person you want loose on the street anywhere.

      The state is even trying to use the death penalty

      Federal government, and they haven't decided.

      and terrorism charges.

      That one is the state, and this case does meet the legal definition of it in that state. So as a matter of law, it is correct.

      They don't even give that to people who shoot up schools or churches.

      Depends on a few things:

      1) Did they survive the incident? Often they don't.
      2) What was the legal definition of it in that jurisdiction?
      3) Did their actions meet the legal definition?

      • Is not a threat to me or anyone I know.

        Anybody who can just walk up to somebody they've never met and shoot them in the back is probably not the kind of person you want loose on the street anywhere.

        Special operations commandos would like a word [unilad.com].

        I think Luigi has the same internal controls as a commando. This wasn't a robbery, or for other personal gain, like a simple criminal. This was violence for a greater mission.

        • Special operations commandos would like a word

          Well if you really think you're currently fighting a war, then what's stopping you from doing this right now?

          This wasn't a robbery, or for other personal gain, like a simple criminal. This was violence for a greater mission.

          I'm guessing his poster is sitting on your wall right next to Ted Kaczynski, Timothy McVeigh, Osama Bin Laden, and many more including every abortion clinic bomber. They all had the same idea, after all.

      • So what you're saying is that in the UK*, where the idea is to allocate resources & medical according to need, they wouldn't have given you your unnecessary surgery, whereas is the USA, where resources are allocated according to profit, you did. As you put it, limited resources & medical care. Who went without for the sake of your unnecessary surgery?

        *Actually, the UK is a poor example now because they're in the midst of a long, drawn out, secretive process of privatising healthcare in the NHS (J

    • Re: (Score:3)

      by dskoll ( 99328 )

      He stalked and murdered a guy in cold blood. He deserves to be convicted of first-degree murder.

      • He stalked and murdered a guy in cold blood. He deserves to be convicted of first-degree murder.

        To which I will add that if people normalize and applaud cold-blooded assassination, then they're going to be shocked when they turn out to be the next one targeted. Because here's the thing: by someone's well-intentioned standards, most of us deserve to die. A society where murder is rationalized and excused is not one that leads to a good outcome for any of us.

      • If Luigi had murdered me or you the police would not have deployed drones, dogs, divers, and countless man hours. Why was no measure spared on this single case?

        • Re: (Score:2)

          by dskoll ( 99328 )

          It was high-profile and shocking. I think you're wrong about saying that the police wouldn't expend energy if the victim had been someone else.

          • Re: (Score:3)

            by Ly4 ( 2353328 )

            This also happened in Manhattan that week:

            Migrant teen killed, another injured, after being asked if they spoke English: New York police

            https://abc7chicago.com/post/m... [abc7chicago.com]

            Obviously this isn't getting near the same level of effort as the CEO case.

        • Same reason Britney Griner was bailed out in a prisoner swap while a journalist who had already been there longer and unlike her, he didn't even break any local laws, nevertheless is just left to sit and rot. Yes, unbelievable as it may sound, Britney Griner is far more important than you by a landslide.

  • Doctorow charts the journey of a man whose... wife is diagnosed with breast cancer and denied coverage for an experimental treatment. Slowly, over the course of the story, the men of the forum become radicalized by their grief and begin plotting -- and executing -- murders of health insurance executives and politicians who vote against universal healthcare.

    I'm all for universal healthcare (and I'm against killing people who aren't, feel like I have to say that these days), but I find it bizarre how many people think that government health care will solve whatever particular problem they're bothered by, like that it will necessarily mean coverage will never be denied for that experimental treatment your wife wants.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by dskoll ( 99328 )

      Sure, you may or may not get experimental treatment under universal healthcare, but you're more likely to get it in a system that isn't motivated by profit.

      I know this is anecdotal, but... my sister has a chronic disease and she was living in the USA. She moved back to Canada 9 years ago and was given an experimental treatment that turned out to be extremely effective and that allows her to live a normal life. The treatment is very expensive, but she does not have to pay anything for it.

      I do not think h

      • Sure, you may or may not get experimental treatment under universal healthcare, but you're more likely to get it in a system that isn't motivated by profit.

        No, you are more likely to be put into a free suicide pod [nypost.com], lots cheaper.

      • Re: (Score:3)

        by kenh ( 9056 )

        Sure, you may or may not get experimental treatment under universal healthcare, but you're more likely to get it in a system that isn't motivated by profit.

        You imagine single-payer healthcare systems have money/resources to give patients, for example, not only conventional cancer treatment, but all the experimental treatments researchers are working on? Really?

        Single-payer healthcare systems are notorious for having limited resources - for example, up north in Canada, the gold standard of single-payer healthcare basic treatments like an MRI or a CAT Scan can take months to schedule once your doctor orders one.

        The profit motive makes MRIs and CAT Scans trivial

        • Re: (Score:2)

          by Xarius ( 691264 )

          In countries with functional healthcare (every developed nation except USA) you can still choose to pay for a private option if you wish, and the fun part is it is still cheaper than the American system.

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by kenh ( 9056 )

        Sure, you may or may not get experimental treatment under universal healthcare, but you're more likely to get it in a system that isn't motivated by profit.

        I know this is anecdotal, but... my sister has a chronic disease and she was living in the USA. She moved back to Canada 9 years ago and was given an experimental treatment that turned out to be extremely effective and that allows her to live a normal life. The treatment is very expensive, but she does not have to pay anything for it.

        I do not think her quality of life would be anywhere near as good as it is now had she stayed in the USA.

        Since you held up your sister as an example, I have to ask - what kind of coverage did she have in the US? Was it government provided, was it from her employer, or was it some plan she elected to pay for? In America there are all manner of different Health Care Plans, some are very stingy, and some are very generous, but most are somewhere in the middle.

        You also have apparently eliminated the possibility that the experimental treatment she enjoyed in Canada may not have existed or had not had a sufficient p

    • I'm all for universal healthcare (and I'm against killing people who aren't, feel like I have to say that these days), but I find it bizarre how many people think that government health care will solve whatever particular problem they're bothered by

      In the case of Luigi, it doesn't sound like it will make any difference at all. From his notebook, it seems he was outraged because one doctor told him that no other doctors would even think about performing the surgery until he was at least 40. Doesn't matter who the payer is, if no doctors will perform the surgery, it's not happening. Somehow he got it in his head that this means an insurance executive needs to die. Curious how many more he would kill until he realizes that changing the payer wouldn't do

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by kenh ( 9056 )

        He wanted to kill someone, its that simple, and he came up with a reason he thought might gain him some sympathy/street cred. He will very likely spend the rest of his life in prison

  • it's important to note that Doctorow advocates for systemic reform through collective action rather than violence

    Some of us are MLK Jr., some are Malcolm X.

  • CEO shoulda paid for the (Score:3)

    by dicobalt ( 1536225 ) on Friday December 20, 2024 @10:00PM (#65029965)
    Trauma Team Platinum package.

  • Irregularities of the US Medical System (Score:5, Informative)

    by silentbozo ( 542534 ) on Friday December 20, 2024 @10:11PM (#65029975) Journal

    From the standpoint of most of the rest of the developed world, the US medical system is... weird.

    TL;DR - we have doctors in places that make it easier to get high end medical care but much more difficult to get routine medical care, and a system that incentivizes people not to spend money, to the benefit of the insurer. The supply shortage is not getting better (due to the long lead time to training medical professionals), and there's a lot of friction that makes it more advantageous to get paid more to do specialist care for the same amount of time worked, because the overhead involved makes it much harder and much less rewarding to do basic care, beyond the issue with paying back student loans.

    -------

    First, let us look at cost. The US has a reputation of having really good specialist care - so good that apparently well heeled people from other countries regularly come here to have cutting edge procedures done, or to do routine scans that are booked up in their home country.

    "These hospitals and clinics are offering inbound medical tourism services to patients who come to the U.S. for higher quality than they can receive in their home country, access to procedures that are not available in their country’s healthcare facilities, freedom from long wait times or the rationing of procedures because of national governmental regulations, because of the ability to combine tourism opportunities in the U.S., and/or (believe it or not!) because the price differential- paying for services in cash in the U.S. may be less expensive than in their home country."

    https://www.magazine.medicalto... [medicaltourism.com]

    "For many Canadians, the prospect of enduring prolonged wait times for medical imaging, such as MRI scans, prompts them to explore alternative avenues. This has led to a growing trend of Canadians venturing south of the border to the United States to secure expedited MRI appointments."

    https://www.cmimri.ca/navigati... [cmimri.ca]

    Paradoxically though, we have the opposite happening within the US, where some patients resort having procedures done overseas. We also have long lines in order to get seen by general practitioners. In other cases, US citizens forego basic care due to cost.

    "Medical tourism is a worldwide, multibillion-dollar market that continues to grow with the rising globalization of health care. Surveillance data indicate that millions of US residents travel internationally for medical care each year. Medical tourism destinations for US residents include Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Germany, India, Malaysia, Mexico, Nicaragua, Peru, Singapore, and Thailand. Categories of procedures that US medical tourists pursue include cancer treatment, dental care, fertility treatments, organ and tissue transplantation, and various forms of surgery, including bariatric, cosmetic, and non-cosmetic (e.g., orthopedic)."

    https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/y... [cdc.gov]

    "Opponents of universal health care often predict it would lead to long waits to see a doctor, but patients in the U.S. already face unacceptable delays in getting routine care.

    Jam-packed appointment schedules have endured for years. Check out this Business Week story from 2007: “The Doctor Will See You—In Three Months.” However, the lack of a national reporting system to track and disclose wait times to the public — a feature in some other countries — has largely obscured the problem here.

    With no comprehensive data, journalists rely on a hodgepodge of studies that suggest patients often wait a month or more for a slot on a doctor’s schedule."

    • Medical tourism is not really a good argument. Rich medical tourists go where they think they can get better treatment, not necessarily where they actually can. Basically, most first world countries had their share of rich medical tourists from other first world countries.

  • Pfft... (Score:3)

    by quintessencesluglord ( 652360 ) on Friday December 20, 2024 @10:25PM (#65029999)

    I was anticipating something like this with the 2008 crash.

    People lose their life savings and only bankers are made whole? You'll at least get 3 squares and a cot in prison (and free healthcare).

    As long as law excessively favors business (arbitration, outright theft as "billing errors", slap on the wrist penalties as the cost of doing business, etc.), people will make their own justice with the means available to them as there is no recourse coming from institutions.

  • Social contract violators (Score:3)

    by sinij ( 911942 ) on Friday December 20, 2024 @10:28PM (#65030001)
    Insurance industry under guidance of CEOs is very clearly violating social contracts by maliciously denying coverage to policy holders. Losing in court as a delay tactic is immoral and there should be personal consequences for people that decided to try it.

    • Part of the problem is competition.

      Paradoxically, the individual mandate under the ACA creates a situation where you don't actually need to deliver better service to get customers. For those who correctly point out that the ACA individual mandate was removed as of 2019 ( https://www.healthinsurance.or... [healthinsurance.org] ), there are those of us in states that enacted their own mandates who are subject to similar provisions (minimum $900 or 2.5% of your yearly income penalty in California. Good luck if you just become une

  • I get ready disappointed when any insurance claim is denied. I pay and pay but no insurance company has ever approved a dime

    • Well they're not going to cover shit that isn't proven to work if that's what all of your claims have been for.

      I've made some pretty big claims myself, and no big claim has ever been denied. Usually when something is denied, it's something like the insurance won't cover an MRI until something cheaper like an x-ray or ct-scan has been performed first. So the doctor orders the cheap one first, doesn't find it in that image as he was already certain he wouldn't have, so the insurance company pays for both the

  • So The Fine Summary says:

    In Radicalized, one of four novellas comprising a science fiction novel of the same name, Doctorow charts the journey of a man who joins an online forum for fathers whose partners or children have been denied healthcare coverage by their insurers after his wife is diagnosed with breast cancer and denied coverage for an experimental treatment. Slowly, over the course of the story, the men of the forum become radicalized by their grief and begin plotting -- and executing -- murders of health insurance executives and politicians who vote against universal healthcare.

    "joins an online forum for fathers whose partners or children have been denied healthcare coverage by their insurers after his wife is diagnosed with breast cancer and denied coverage for an experimental treatment."

    The UnitedHealthcare CEO was shot by someone who had never been covered by UnitedHealthcare - not a radicalized customer denied coverage. He wasn't grieving, he wasn't denied coverage, in fact after his surfing accident, he was covered by his insurance and had by all acco

    • Bin Ladden was somebody's son, somebody's brother...etc. He didn't directly kill anybody but without him a few thousand people would have lived.... He wasn't a CEO of an American company that made money off the death of 10s of thousands of people...

      • Luigi is the Bin Laden here. So certain about his ideals, he decides he's justified in murder (of somebody with which he has no personal connection) to force the issue.

        That's why I think the terrorism charges against Luigi will probably stick - he earned it.

      • Bin Ladden was somebody's son, somebody's brother...etc. He didn't directly kill anybody but without him a few thousand people would have lived....

        In his view, this was justified because:

        - Palestine. (Ironically, Luigi's supporters also mostly believe that Hamas was justified in the mass kidnapping and murders of October 7th.)
        - Banks charge interest on loans
        - Homosexuality isn't a crime

        Honestly I think you would have been better off making this argument about Ted Kaczynski. He was a nutter as well, though unlike Bin Laden, his victims were targeted, which is far more analogous to Luigi Mangioni. If you substitute "modern technology" with "bean counter

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