After killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO, 2 Pittsburgh companies remove leadership pages from websites
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — Allegheny Health Network and Highmark Health removed leadership pages from their websites a week after the deadly shooting of the UnitedHealthcare CEO.
A spokesperson confirmed to KDKA-TV on Wednesday that they took the pages down out of an abundance of caution. UPMC's CEO still has a bio on its website but no photo.
"Highmark Health has a robust security program in place across our health system and our health insurance plan – AHN and Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield. We place the highest priority on the safety and security of our team members at every level," a spokesperson said.
Security experts say it may not help much for a company to scrub its website of pictures and other information because the information has already been posted and is already public.
"This is an eye-opening experience," Glen Kucera, president of Allied Universal Enhanced Protection Services.
The killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson on Dec. 4 in New York City is a "total wake-up call" for companies, Kucera said. Luigi Mangione, who had a vendetta against the health insurance company, is the alleged gunman in the attack. He was arrested in Altoona on Monday.
Kucera said UnitedHealth Group is a client.
"Since this unfortunate occurrence happened a week ago, we are inundated with calls for all of those," Kucera said. "It starts out with social media monitoring, what's going on."
In New York City, "wanted posters" with a red X over Thompson's face and the names of other CEOs are popping up around the city. Police worry the posters will inspire a copycat attack.
"Very few executives in the health insurance sector actually have executive protection," Kucera said. "Now we have to look at all of this going forward."
He said companies are asking for armed security personnel for executives and stepping up monitoring threats on social media.
"There are even political people that are saying that whereas the act was bad, they understand the motive," Kucera said. "So, all of this is fuelling rage."
Since the ambush killing, there has been a flurry of rage and frustration on social media against health insurance companies and denials of claims. Lawrence Likar worked for the FBI for 23 years and supervised Pittsburgh FBI's Violent Crime Major Offenders Squad.
"He got enormous publicity. That publicity just exploded for him," he said. "Because of that, it often has followers."
Regarding sympathy for Mangione and some considering him a martyr, Likar said that has dangerous implications.
"You are going to see people that believe that he may be on the right track for handling many of our problems in society where all it takes is a weapon," Likar said.
"They sympathize with a murder because it intrigues them," he added. "There are people like that in society."
Kucera said there's a key reason health care companies and hospitals are on such high alert.
"What we have to understand though about health care and health care insurance is those decisions that are made every day either impact quality of life or impact life and death," he said. "So, that triggers huge emotion and a huge emotional response, and that generates more of a tendency to lead to these hostile acts. That is the business, unfortunately."