ISABELLE MULLEN: Sick obsession with alleged killer Luigi Mangione shows just how broken US health system is

It’s hard to understand why Luigi Mangione is so appealing to so many people.

Sure, he’s good looking, if you like that sort of thing.

He has a cracked watermelon smile and at least six visible abs, and he walks with all the self-assured confidence of an Ivy League tech graduate.

Oh, and he comes from money. Lots of it.

But before you get carried away imagining your life together, there are a couple of red flags.

The most significant being that he’s accused of killing in cold blood.

It’s not a small thing, but you tell your friends he had all the best intentions.

“What?” They sound concerned.

“Well, if he did do it,” you explain indignantly after his not guilty plea, “he did it for the right reasons.”

“Sorry?” Now, they’re really worried.

You explain that he was taking on corporate America, and the big, bad healthcare providers that rip off hundreds of thousands of people while denying claims to the needy.

They’re not convinced. After all, you can’t just go around shooting people you disagree with.

Mangione’s growing celebrity sounds too strange to be true, but at 26 the accused smiling assassin has become some sort of macabre hero.

His alleged crimes are horrific, having been accused of gunning down United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson outside a hotel in Manhattan.

Brian Thompson was a husband and father. His family and friends are no doubt revolted at the support his alleged killer is receiving.

It is disturbing.

But in an America where access to healthcare is not facilitated by the government, Thompson has become a symbol of corporate greed and the perceived evils of the insurance industry generally.

United Healthcare is the largest healthcare provider in the world.

On the 2024 Fortune 500 list, it is ranked eighth, and in this year’s third quarter results it reported a revenue of more than US$100 billion .

It is printing money.

And still, United Healthcare is accused of using algorithms to deny claims and refuse nursing care to stroke patients.

The alleged assassin capitalised on that growing frustration, leaving behind three bullets with the words “depose,” “deny,” “defend.”

And so, upon his arrest Mangione quickly became a folk hero and has even been called a modern-day Robin Hood.

His good looks work in his favour. He doesn’t look like a crazed killer; he looks like a wealthy frat boy and that’s much more endearing.

US commentator Taylor Lorenz told Piers Morgan: “I felt, along with so many other Americans, joy,” after Brian Thompson was shot dead.

And now, at every court appearance dozens of his supporters turn up to scream their encouragement.

“Free Luigi,” they cry.

It’s hard to wrap your head around.

Assassination can’t be an acceptable way to deal with the people you’re frustrated with.

For most Americans, the preferred option is to grin and bear it.

The top cause of bankruptcy in the United States is healthcare related debt.

This year, the average premium for health insurance for a family was US$25,572.

But frustration is growing, with reports that on average one in five insurance claims is being rejected.

Many Americans are paying up big for nothing.

Insurance companies are also accused of using AI to review claims and issue denials, which means the algorithm is built to suit the company, not the claimant.

Many Americans hope Thompson’s death will lead to systemic changes within the US healthcare system.

Insurance provider Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield has already reversed its decision to limit anaesthesia coverage during surgeries.

That’s one positive to come out of this horrendous crime.

Maybe there will be more.

But as Mangione faces the prospect of life in prison, or even the death penalty if convicted of his murder charge, he must be asking himself was it all worth it?

After all, you can’t just go around killing people.

Isabelle Mullen is a Federal political reporter for 7NEWS