"Delay" and "Deny" written on bullets found at the scene of UnitedHealthcare CEO's murder. Here's what they may mean.
NEW YORK -- Shell casings with the words "Delay" and "Deny" written on them were found at the scene of the deadly shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson on Wednesday.
But what do the words mean? CBS News New York investigative reporter Mahsa Saeidi is looking into if they are connected to a possible motive.
"Delay, Deny, Defend" is a common phrase in the industry
Following Thompson's murder, markers showed the location of the shell casings. Sources say a Sharpie was used to meticulously write on the bullets.
While the motive is not known, officials are examining the significance of the words.
"When I saw that, immediately I thought, oh my God!" plaintiff's insurance attorney John Tolley said.
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Tolley says "Delay, Deny, Defend" is a common phrase in his industry. It's the title of a popular book that is critical of tactics allegedly used by insurers.
In 2010, the author wrote that insurance companies delay payment, deny claims, and then defend their actions.
"The book basically outs the insurance's game plan. So the game plan is, we need to frustrate these people so much that even if they are saying in the beginning, 'I'm not gonna take a penny less,' or 'I'm not gonna stop fighting until I get what I'm supposed to get,'" well, the insurance company is going to make their life hell from the beginning," Tolley said.
UnitedHealthcare has been under intense scrutiny
This year, UnitedHealthcare Group has been facing fierce criticism. At the company's headquarters in Minnesota in July, protesters accused the insurer of systematically denying claims.
Last month, the Department of Justice sued UnitedHealth Group, which provides coverage for more than 49 million Americans, accusing it of violating antitrust laws.
In October, a scathing report from a U.S. Senate panel claimed, "UnitedHealthcare's prior authorization denial rate for post-acute care surged from 10.9% in 2020 ... to 22.7% in 2022."
Currently, police have not made any connection between Thompson's death and those complaints.
Thompson was appointed CEO in 2021.
"Being a father of two, obviously watching this happen to this person was just absolutely tragic," Tolley said. "It's just a horrible situation all around, and my heart truly bleeds for him and his family."
