NEW YORK: The chief executive of US health insurance giant UnitedHealthcare was shot and killed outside a New York hotel on Wednesday morning in an apparently targeted hit.

Police released images showing the gunman wearing a hooded top opening fire before fleeing on a bicycle towards Central Park, with detectives offering a $10,000 reward for the man’s capture.

The UHC company is a major player in US private healthcare, providing workplace health insurance as well as administering huge healthcare programmes like Medicare and Medicaid for older and low-income people funded by state budgets.

The New York Times reported that Brian Thompson, 50, was shot just before 7am at the hotel in the Midtown district of Manhattan, with the CNBC broadcaster suggesting a silencer had been used.

Police confirmed a shooting with officers swarming around the area near the hotel, a usually busy corner of Manhattan that would have been filled with commuters at the time of the shooting. Video footage showed officers performing CPR on Thompson before he was taken to a nearby hospital where he was later pronounced dead.

“We are deeply saddened and shocked at the passing of our dear friend and colleague Brian Thompson, the CEO of UnitedHealthcare,” UnitedHealth Group said in a statement.

“Brian was a highly respected colleague and friend to all who worked with him. We are working closely with the New York Police Department and ask for your patience and understanding during this difficult time.”

UnitedHealth Group, the parent company of UHC, had revenues of $100.8 billion in the third quarter of the year.

Published in Dawn, December 5th, 2024