California may soon vote on a healthcare measure named after an accused killer — and it’s sending shockwaves through the insurance industry.
The “Luigi Mangione Access to Health Care Act” would ban insurance companies from denying or delaying doctor-recommended treatments that could prevent death or serious harm. The proposal, submitted by retired L.A. attorney Paul Eisner, is now under review by the California Attorney General’s office. Eisner admits the naming is a publicity stunt.
“Sometimes things require publicity,” Eisner told CBS 8. “People are tired of carriers, of insurance companies denying them health care,” he told CBS 8.
“I agree with what he was arguing, but I don’t support his method. What I am doing is the right way to do it,” Eisner added.
WHY IT MATTERS: The measure puts a spotlight on the deadly consequences of corporate greed in healthcare — and how far Americans are being pushed by profit-driven systems.
THE DETAILS:
- The measure is named after Luigi Mangione, an Ivy League grad who peladed not guilty to murdering UnitedHealthcare’s CEO last year in NYC.
- Bullet casings at the scene were engraved with “delay” and “deny” — a nod to how insurers often treat patients.
- The proposed law would let patients sue insurers if their care is delayed or denied, with the chance to win legal fees and triple damages.
- Critics slammed the initiative for glorifying violence. But others have rallied behind Mangione, seeing him as a symbol of the cruelty of America’s for-profit healthcare system.
THE BACKGROUND:
- The U.S. health insurance industry has long been criticized for prioritizing profits over lives.
- Books like “Delay, Deny, Defend” have detailed how insurers systematically avoid paying out claims.
- UnitedHealthcare, one of the largest insurers, made $22 billion in profit in 2023 — while patients report increasing barriers to care.
WHAT’S NEXT: The public comment period runs through April 25. If the initiative clears review and collects enough signatures, it could appear on California’s 2026 ballot — and potentially ignite a nationwide reckoning on healthcare justice.