For years before he was accused of killing the CEO of one of America's largest health-insurance companies, Luigi Mangione suffered from debilitating pain that doctors didn't seem able to fix. He detailed the pain, and what he felt to be the healthcare system's inadequate response, in dozens of posts on Reddit between and And none of the posts blame UnitedHealthcare โ or Thompson โ for his health issues.
The only insurer mentioned is Blue Cross Blue Shield, in a brief post describing how it covered a medical test. But his posts paint a portrait of someone whose pain and recovery led him to put "my life on hold in my 20s. Like most young Americans, if Mangione was covered by his parents' health-insurance plan, he likely would have aged out when he turned 26 in May, under rules set by the Affordable Care Act.
In handwritten notes from reviewed by Business Insider, Mangione wrote that he had spondylolisthesis โ severe slippage of parts of the spine due to joint deterioration. Details shared by the Reddit account match biographical details about Mangione sourced from public documents. He underwent surgery later that year. An X-ray image Mangione posted on social media depicted a spinal fusion, with rods and screws reinforcing the position of his bones.
At first, he appeared jubilant โ his pain was gone. But by June this year, he was castigating doctors as "basically worthless" on X. Public records, social-media posts, and interviews indicate that Mangione cut off contact with family and friends earlier this year.
Months later, police say Mangione murdered Thompson on a Manhattan sidewalk, wielding a gun assembled from 3D printed parts. The scion of a prominent Baltimore family, Mangione was educated at elite schools.
