Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield changes course after the death of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson

Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield has decided to cancel a planned policy modification that would have linked reimbursements in certain states to the duration of anesthesia administered to a patient.

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. 

The company made a statement affirming, “It has never been, and will never be, the stance of Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield to deny coverage for anesthesia services deemed medically necessary.”

They further explained that the intended adjustment to the policy was solely meant to provide clarity on the suitable use of anesthesia in line with established medical protocols.

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’.

The umbrella company for Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield is Elevance Health which is headed by Gail Boudreaux who had previously held Thompson’s position as the CEO of UnitedHealthCare. 

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.

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 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. 

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’. 

‘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.’