UnitedHealthcare CEO murder: Words on ammo in shooting echo common phrase on insurer tactics: Delay, deny, defend [Video]

A message left at the scene of a health insurance executive’s fatal shooting – “deny,” “defend” and “depose” – echoes a phrase commonly used to describe insurer tactics to avoid paying claims.

The three words were written on the ammunition a masked gunman used to kill UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, according to two law enforcement officials who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Thursday. They’re similar to the phrase “delay, deny, defend” – the way some attorneys describe how insurers deny services and payment, and the title of a 2010 book that was highly critical of the industry.

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Police haven’t officially commented on the wording or any connection between them and the common phrase. But Thompson’s shooting and the messages on the ammunition have sparked outrage on social media and elsewhere, reflecting a deepening frustration Americans have over the cost and complexity of getting care.

What does the phrase mean?

“Delay, deny, …