The CEO of the US’s largest health insurer was murdered. Why?
The CEO of UnitedHealthcare, Brian Thompson, was killed outside of an investor event.
Motive? Parent company UnitedHealth Group was aware of credible threats against senior executives, and a comment from Thompson’s widow suggests denial of coverage may have been the motive.
An ongoing lawsuit claims UnitedHealth illegally denied care to patients by using an AI model known by the company to have a 90 per cent error rate. An October U.S. Senate report seems to support the claim, emphatically. The words "deny, defend, depose" were written on the shell casings, mirroring a phrase used by insurance industry critics.
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Quebec expands private surgery options at no cost to patients
More surgeries will soon be available in private clinics in Quebec.
Why it's important: The policy aims to reduce surgical wait times for Quebecers by integrating private clinics into the province’s healthcare strategy.
New rules will expand access to over 20 additional procedures, building on previously established private access options such as cataract and joint surgeries. The move mirrors Ontario’s Bill 60, which sparked concerns over the migration of scarce professionals from public to private settings. This may shed light on the CAQ’s rationale for levying steep fines on new doctors leaving the public system.
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Federal and Alberta health ministers announce quasi-pharmacare deal
Ministers Holland and LaGrange announced a $162-million investment to improve diagnostics and access to rare disease drugs for Albertans over the next three years.
Why it's important: Alberta will receive $54 million annually under the National Strategy for Drugs for Rare Diseases to fund new therapies.
For the one in 12 Albertans affected by a rare disease, this should improve their access to care. A successful partnership here might also suggest a roadmap or building momentum towards agreement on broader, perhaps more politically-charged programs such as Pharmacare and dental care. Baby steps.
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Manitoba bans nursing agencies from new contracts with public system
Manitoba is rolling out reforms to prioritize public healthcare and curb rising costs.
Why it's important: Health minister Asagwara says the province wants to shift agency nursing away from being the default staffing solution to more of an exception.
Alongside the ban, Manitoba is creating a public travel nursing team, mirroring Nova Scotia, to meet demand for flexible nursing staff while reducing reliance on private agencies, which are notoriously cost-inefficient. The reforms are part of a bigger push to reinvest in public healthcare and address issues like nurse burnout and attrition.
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Telus Health clinic opens in downtown Toronto
The Telus Health MyCare clinic offers a tech-driven approach to easing system strain.
Why it's important: Equipped with AI scribes and vertically-integrated EMR software, the clinic’s ethos centres on reducing physician burnout through tech.
While the clinic supports publicly insured care, concerns linger about the role of the private sector in public healthcare and widening avenues for data monetization. Wherever you may sit on this, the clinic’s arrival is illustrative of the potential for private entities to redefine Canadian health care.
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“Eat What You Kill”
The only oncologist in a small Montana city has a cultlike following and a trail of suspicious deaths behind him.
Why it's important: From 2013 to 2020, Thomas C. Weiner billed for more patient visits than any other doctor in the U.S., amassing wealth while misdiagnosing patients, prescribing unnecessary and dangerous treatments, and avoiding oversight.
When colleagues and hospital admin raised concerns about his care, he’d threaten to leave town or sue. Despite repeated warnings, harmful treatments continued for years. You might have spotted this story and scrolled past it. It’s worth the time.
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