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Flags fly at half mast outside the United Healthcare corporate headquarters United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson was shot dead on the street in New York City.Getty ImagesThe bullet casings from the ammunition that killed UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson reportedly had three words written on them: Deny, Defend and Depose. These words allude to the strategy that some attorneys and critics have used to describe the tactics used by health insurance companies to deny making payment on claims and the most recent available data suggests that UHC is perhaps the countrys worst offender.When it comes to denying claims, multiple reports suggest that UHC, which is the countrys largest health insurer and serves some 50 million people, is an industry leader, with a rate nearly double the industry average. A recent Senate report slammed the company for denying nursing care to patients recovering from falls and strokes on its Medicare Advantage plans, and it currently faces a class action lawsuit for its use of AI algorithms to automatically refuse payment.The insurance giants tactics have frustrated patients and healthcare providers alike. A major protest at the companys subsidiary Optums headquarters in Minnesota in July attracted roughly 50 demonstrators, 11 of whom were arrested. Disputes with hospital systems over UHC's claim denials have led to some deciding not to accept its insurance at all.Gauging an exact number of claim denials is tricky, as theres no central repository of this data, insurance insights firm ValuePenguin told Forbes. But according to one of the firms reports on insurance claim denial rates, UHC has the highest instance of denials out of all major providers, refusing an estimated one-third of claims submitted. The insurer did not respond to a comment request.UnitedHealthcare also has the largest market share of health insurance policies, with roughly $215 billion in revenue. ValuePenguin said that based on current insurance plan costs, UHC offers the most expensive premiums in the nation compared to other providers. For example, a middle-tier plan with UHC would cost a 40-year-old person $631 per month, whereas the national average would amount to an estimated $621 per month.The shooting has reignited a national conversation about Americas for-profit healthcare sector and many peoples inability to afford treatments and medication. HealthCare.gov issuers denied a total of 17% of claims in 2021, with some issuers denial rates reaching 49%, according to a 2023 report by health researcher KFF. In a 2023 survey of consumers experience with their health coverage, KFF found that nearly half of adults who had insurance problems were unable to satisfactorily resolve them, with 15% saying they experienced a decline in their health and 28% saying they paid more than they expected.A still-unidentified man shot and killed Thompson as he was on his way to a Manhattan investor meeting for parent company UnitedHealth Group around 6:45 a.m. on Wednesday. In the hours after, anger and frustration over insurance denials and medical costs bubbled up online and in conversations. When you shoot one man in the street, its murder. When you kill thousands by taking away their ability to get treatment youre an entrepreneur, one angry poster wrote on X, formerly Twitter.Thompsons wife Paulette told NBC News on Wednesday that she was aware he had received some threats. Basically, I dont know, a lack of coverage? she said. I dont know details. I just know that he said there were some people that had been threatening him.At the Forbes Healthcare Summit in New York on Wednesday, attendee Michael Patton, founder and president of Excel Health Plans, said his initial reaction was that the shooting may have been related to someone whose claim had been denied, given the anger such an experience can cause. Police are still searching for the suspect, and his motivation remains a matter of conjecture.The company is facing multiple lawsuits over its denials. In November of last year, the estates of two deceased Medicare Advantage patients sued UHC, alleging that their claims for care were denied using an AI model with a 90% error rate. (UnitedHealth had argued that the lawsuit should be dismissed because patients didnt complete their appeals.) In October 2024, the Senate Subcommittee on Investigations published a report that found the company was using algorithms to deny claims and knew from testing that at least one of these automation technologies resulted in an increase in the share of those requests being denied.UnitedHealthcares practices have also been a source of tension with hospitals and healthcare systems in recent years. Trinity Health of New England, for example, briefly dropped UHC earlier this year over a number of issues, including the fact that it initially denied over 10% of its Medicare Advantage claims. The parties came to an agreement in August, but its hardly the only system thats had issues with the insurer. According to Beckers Hospital Review, six health systems dropped the insurer in 2024.After months of negotiation with the University of Florida Health System around renewing their contract, the two entities couldnt come to an agreement, and UHC dropped the health system from its coverage in September. UF said in a statement that the insurer wanted to pay below market rates for healthcare services (UHC said its rates were market-competitive), and that lengthy prior authorization processes, complicated billing and coding requirements, and claim denials/payment delays have led to reductions in payments from UHC.Delays and denials from UHC also frustrated its relationship with Duke Health, whose CEO said in an interview earlier this year that the insurer has been 57% slower to pay claims than our other payers and takes over 60 days to respond to claims they deny.UnitedHealthcare announced a new policy, effective December 1, by which it may deny charges for inpatient or outpatient services that it considers routine which would give the insurer more opportunity to issue denials around specific line-items, according to healthcare attorneys at Davis Wright Tremaine.Healthcare should be easier for people, Johnson, 50, said at an investor meeting last year. He became CEO of UHC in April 2021, and received total compensation of $10.2 million, according to the companys proxy statement. Johnson joined UnitedHealth Group in 2004, and previously served as head of government programs, including Medicare.UnitedHealthcare wasnt the only insurer facing consumers wrath this week. Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield said that it would deny claims for anesthesia that lasted longer than specific time limits it set for surgeries starting in February. Following an outcry, the insurer said that it would not go forward with its policy change.Sarah Emerson contributed reporting.MORE AT FORBES

The NYPD is still searching for the shooter of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson, who was shot in New York earlier this week. (Photo by Alex Kent/Getty Images)Getty ImagesPolice continue to search for the man who shot and killed UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in what appears to be a rare targeted assassination against a company executive. But violent threats against healthcare industry executives have been on the rise for years, according to a security specialist at the risk advisory firm Kroll.Matthew Dumpert, a managing director at Kroll covering business risk management and a former special agent with the Department of States Diplomatic Security Service, said hes seen more threats across industries, but theres been a spike in threats against healthcare executives in particular.The healthcare and health sciences sectors are some of the most impacted because of the nature of their business, because they intersect with families at their time of real despair and need, said Dumpert, whod previously run personnel security operations for the U.S. government in Iraq and Libya.The threats are coming from a variety of sources, Dumpert told Forbes, many sent via social media, email and untraceable phones, and sometimes from groups operating on the dark web.At that hour of the morning in a major city, I would have expected one of our clients to have a more recognizable security posture around them.Since Thompsons killing, Dumpert said his phone had been "ringing off the hook with questions from clients about upping their security; Kroll offers security services to a range of clients, from venture capitalists and private family offices to law firms and places of worship. The emails have been flooding in, of course, from healthcare, he said. Since this incident, clients in all industries, including the executives themselves, are reaching out directly and asking, what do we need to do to be better positioned to defend our people and defend our reputation?Companies are increasingly looking to either build their own or outsource their intelligence networks, keeping tabs on where threats are being made and then triaging in real time to decide which to take seriously, he said. This would not be dissimilar to police intelligence centers, commonly referred to as Real-Time Crime Centers.It's really important for companies and corporations and high net worth families to have a threat intelligence apparatus that helps them really understand, are there groups, are there people, or are there movements out there that may be conspiring against them? he said. It has to be around the clock, 24/7 to make informed decisions about risk and protection.Early reports indicated that Thompson did not have any kind of security with him when he was gunned down outside a Hilton hotel in Manhattan on the day he was due to attend his companys investor conference. He had a security detail assigned to his New York trip, according to CNN, citing an anonymous source, but they were not with him at the time. At that hour of the morning in a major city, I would have expected one of our clients to have a more recognizable security posture around them, Dumpert said.Thompsons wife told NBC News that he had previously received threats, without providing specifics.UnitedHealthcare did not immediately respond to a comment request.High level executives, from Mark Zuckerberg to Jeff Bezos, often hire personal security, and many large firms spend hundreds of thousands if not millions of dollars protecting their top people. Per SEC records, Meta has spent over $20 million every year for the last three years for Zuckerbergs personal security. By comparison, Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google owner Alphabet, was given a personal security budget of $6.8 million in 2023, while Apple CEO Tim Cook was granted $820,000. UnitedHealthcare does not release information about what it spends on executive security.The manhunt to track down Thompsons killer is still ongoing. Police reportedly found bullet shell casings that had the words deny, defend and depose apparent references to how insurance companies avoid paying out claims at the scene. Recent data indicates that UnitedHealthcare has the highest claims denial rates in the country.In a bid to identify the shooter, New York police have released images and footage of the suspect.More On Forbes

In a nutshell: Arctic has introduced a fanless mini PC designed to maximize the real estate on and under your desk. The Arctic Senza can be configured with your choice of an AMD Ryzen 5 5500GT or Ryzen 7 5700G processor, and comes paired with either Radeon RX Vega 7 or Radeon RX Vega 8 graphics. The lower-tier model ships with 16 GB of DDR4-3200 memory while the speedier variant gets 32 GB. Both configurations feature a 1 TB TCL NVMe M.2 solid-state drive as well as Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3 connectivity.Pre-installed OS options include Windows 11 Home N or Windows 11 Pro N; optional media features can be added by installing the Media Feature Pack for Windows 11 N. HDMI and DisplayPort connections support dual monitor configurations.The most intriguing aspect of Arctic's Senza is its compact, fanless design. The chassis doubles as a passive heatsink for the processor, making the system both silent and maintenance-free. The unit looks more like a liquid cooling radiator than a traditional PC, and its low profile allows it to be mounted to the underside of your desk to maximize both usable space on the surface of the desk and leg room.The kit includes a separate front panel I/O box that can be mounted near the edge of your desk for easy access to USB ports, an audio jack, and power / reset buttons. Arctic additionally bundles cable clamps, a power brick holder, and cable sleeving for a seamless under desk install.It is a rather attractive unit and somewhat of a shame that it'll be out of sight in most instances. Maybe it could go on the wall beside your desk instead of under it?Pricing starts at 599.99 euro (around $634) for the AMD Ryzen 5 5500GT configuration with Vega 7 graphics, 16 GB of RAM and Windows 11 Home N, and scales up to 729 euro for the 5700G Pro model with Vega 8 graphics, 32 GB of memory, and Windows 12 Pro N.

In a nutshell: Intel's ambitious 18A node is grappling with two significant hurdles as it approaches production: yield rates languishing below 10 percent and a critical SRAM density disadvantage compared to TSMC's competing N2 process. These challenges could impede the node's deployment across Intel's next-generation CPU, AI, and custom chip portfolios. Recent reports indicate that Intel is facing significant yield challenges with its 18A node, potentially delaying its mass production timeline. According to the South Korean newspaper Chosun, current yield rates are below 10 percent, meaning that nearly nine out of every 10 chips manufactured are defective.This is a major issue, particularly as Intel has already canceled its 20A (2nm class) process node for Foundry customers and shifted resources to the 18A (1.8nm class) node. If the sub-10 percent yield rate proves accurate, it could render the node unsuitable for commercial production, at least until significant improvements are made.The challenge of packing transistors into increasingly dense layouts at these cutting-edge nodes is a formidable engineering hurdle affecting the entire semiconductor industry. Samsung's foundry yield for processes below 3nm is currently below 50 percent, with its Gate-All-Around (GAA) technology yield reportedly as low as 10 to 20 percent.There is, however, reason for optimism regarding Intel's 18A node, as the company still has several months to refine the process ahead of its projected 2025 production ramp. The potential payoff is significant, with 18A slated to power high-profile products such as Intel's Clearwater Forest server chips, Panther Lake mobile CPUs, and custom AI silicon.If Intel can rapidly improve 18A's yields to respectable levels above 60 percent in the coming months the stage could still be set for this node to drive the next generation of products from the company. // Related StoriesThat said, yield issues aren't the only challenge Intel faces with 18A. TSMC has reportedly gained an edge in another critical area: SRAM density.According to the ISSCC 2025 Advance Program, TSMC's N2 (2nm class) node shrinks high-density SRAM bit cells down to around 0.0175 m, achieving a density of 38Mb/mm. In contrast, Intel's 18A node achieves 0.021 m and 31.8Mb/mm, which is closer to TSMC's previous-generation N3E and N5 nodes a noticeable difference.As chip designs demand more SRAM, increasing the density of these tiny memory cells is vital for maintaining compact, efficient designs. This is where gate-all-around (GAA) transistors come into play.By controlling the channel on all sides, GAA transistors allow for tighter scaling compared to traditional finFETs. This tight control reduces leakage at small dimensions, enabling higher-density SRAM. Both Intel and TSMC are using GAA to shrink their SRAM bit cells, but TSMC has managed to pack them even more densely with its N2 node.

Indiana Jones and the Great CicleMSRP$70.00 Score Details Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is a Nazi-punching good time with some surprising brains behind it.ProsSuperb world designExploration is always rewardedBrainy puzzlesCathartic brawling combatConsDull storyLifeless faces and sound designTable of ContentsTable of ContentsTo a pulpWalk like an archaeologistPunch outIn Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus, the best way to deal with a Nazi is to tear them limb from limb. Indiana Jones and the Great Circle walks a different path; it finds catharsis in humiliation.Recommended VideosDespite working with a more family-friendly property with less blood and guts, Machinegames latest still has all its teeth in place. A globe-trotting action-adventure romp becomes a slapstick comedy about outsmarting fascism rather than outgunning it. Its enemies are dimwitted punching bags that are so frail and oblivious to their surroundings that you can tip one like a cow with only a toilet plunger. In a crowded media landscape laser focused on Nazism and its unimaginably ugly resurgence worldwide, Machinegames offers what might be the radical thesis that we need right now: Nazis may be dangerous, but theyre also very, very stupid.RelatedWhen Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is at its best, its a clever mix of Dishonored and Uncharted that rewards players for using their brains to get one step ahead of a fascist power grab. It does that while retaining the campy charm of Steven Spielbergs original trilogy, even if its attempts at Hollywood spectacle can feel a little flat when compared to a medium full of adventure games that have long since beaten Indy to the finish line.Set after Raiders of the Lost Ark, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle kicks off when a mysterious giant man breaks into Marshall College and steals a priceless, though seemingly random, artifact. Indiana Jones gives chase, a journey that takes him across the world as he uncovers a larger conspiracy involving his Nazi rival Emmerich Voss and a series of stone artifacts in sites that line up to form a great circle around the Earth. While its all treated like a Hollywood film, the story isnt much more complex than that of a Yoshi game: There are magical MacGuffins and a bad guy with a vaguely evil plan for them.That plainness comes with the territory; Indiana Jones is a proud work of pulp. The franchise is a natural fit for video games with its emphasis on treasure hunting, blockbuster action, and lighthearted fun. Theres a reason why its been spiritually adapted so many times by the likes of Tomb Raider and Uncharted though both series have long since lapped Great Circle when it comes to narrative ambition. Machinegames focus here is on authentically paying homage to Spielbergs 80s films in all their campy glory.BethesdaThe voice cast is all in on that mission, though some actors feel more confident to put their mark on the series than others. Troy Baker has the impossible task of filling Harrisons Ford shoes, and he does so by doing the best impersonation he can. He sounds exactly like his movie counterpart, nailing Fords uniquely dry wit, but it sometimes sounds like hes a bit too hesitant to explore his own interpretation of the character. On the flipside, Marios Gavrilis shines as the maniacal Emmerich Voss, who always feels one step away from teetering into madness.One touch I appreciate is the multilingual approach Machinegames takes. This isnt the kind of game where you go to Egypt and find everyone speaking perfect English. When Indiana Jones is in Italy, the Blackshirts speak Italian. As a seasoned world traveler, Jones can both understand them and speak a bit of the language. That goes a long way toward making me, as a player, feel less like a tourist and more like an archeologist who both respects and seeks to understand the local culture wherever he goes.The Great Circle is full of little cracks.Other parts of The Great Circle struggle to fully live up to the high production value of Indiana Jones blockbuster legacy. On the positive side, environments shine here. Crumbling ruins, dry deserts, and dense jungles are all brought to life with rich detail and warm lighting that gives the image a pulp texture. Less effective is its faces, which strive for photorealism but tumble into the deepest trenches of the uncanny valley. Character models look remarkable at a glance, but are a bit unsettling in motion. They all have Polar Express syndrome, especially Jones himself with his freakishly wide eyes that make him look like a serial killer in cutscenes.Theres a similar lifelessness to The Great Circles empty soundscape. There isnt much ambient noise to give its environments life, and NPCs sound like theyre talking through a tin can if they arent directly next to you. Machinegames gets the most key details right the crack of Indies whip, punches that hit like gunshots, and Gordy Haabs faithful interpretation of John Williams original score but it showcases the highs and lows of gamings pursuit of realism. Its a fragile illusion thats too easily broken, and The Great Circle is full of little cracks.Youd think that adapting Indiana Jones into an interactive experience would be an easy slam dunk, but Machinegames sees the trap hidden under that pressure plate. It would be too easy to just make a second-rate version of Uncharted, creating a game of telephone with another game inspired by Indiana Jones. In fact, The Great Circle does stick a bit too close to Naughty Dogs formula in a handful of short linear missions that make up the adventures weakest moments. In those scenes, Im going through the motions as I slowly platform my way through environments or fend off enemy boats in chase sequences that feel like underwhelming imitations of Uncharteds best moments.Thankfully, those sequences only make up a very small part of whats an otherwise brainy take on the genre. The Great Circle plays like a mix between Dishonored and The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay. Its a first-person stealth game thats just as much about exploration and deduction as it is thrilling set pieces. The bulk of the adventure takes place in three open areas from Vatican City to the jungles of Siam where Indy has free reign to hunt for secrets, solve brain-busting puzzles, and take photos of the scenery. Thats mixed in with some light immersive sim influences that let players sneak into Nazi outposts however they see fit.My brawn is directly tied to my brain.Once I got into the flow, I couldnt put it down. Each of the three main areas are entirely different from one another, but equally dense with discoveries. When exploring Vatican City, it feels like Im in an Assassins Creed game as I scale rooftops and disguise myself as a clergyman to sneak into churches. Egypt is flatter by comparison, but full of underground tombs in the sand guarded by puzzles. Siam changes things up again by letting Indy motor around to small islands like Kratos in God of War Ragnarok. That makes each area feel like a distinct reflection of the real-world locations theyre based on, full of cultural sights to marvel at.While there are plenty of fun action set pieces weaved into the main missions, The Great Circle is at its best when its letting players embody Indiana Jones, the archeologist, rather than the action hero. Im not simply incentivized to pick fights and beat up as many Nazis as possible. Doing so doesnt net me any rewards or experience. Instead, the sole upgrade resource here is Adventure Points, a currency gained through picking up notes and taking photos of the world. Those points can be spent to learn new abilities gleaned through collectible books, which also need to be discovered via exploration. Simply poking around areas is remarkably rewarding as a result, as my brawn is directly tied to my brain. Its a subtle shift in design philosophy, but one that makes me more eager to observe and learn about my surroundings rather than seeing memos as ignorable side-collectibles.Bethesada/MachinegamesJust as impressive is Machinegames puzzle design here, which requires players to put in some serious brainpower to crack safes and get to the heart of tombs. Some of the multilayered puzzles I encountered left me as stumped as I felt in Lorelei and the Laser Eyes, requiring me to closely cross-reference documents for well-hidden clues. One had me frantically translating astrological symbols into numbers, while another required me to find a hidden code in an abandoned game of Mak-Yek left in an outpost. Tombs can be similarly tricky, with clever ancient mechanisms that capture the spirit of the trap-filled movies.Each of these non-combat systems sells The Great Circles central theme better than its script. Indiana Jones finds himself in a race against the Nazis to hunt down a handful of powerful artifacts. Voss and his army have time and power on their side, but Jones and his companions have the brainpower that the Third Reich lacks. Its a story about combating ruthless aggression with wit. Deduction becomes a superpower, and wielding it effectively is all it takes to stay one step ahead of fascism.While Indy can use his brain to solve problems, that doesnt mean he cant deal with Nazis the old fashioned way. Rather than duplicating the bombastic shooting of its Wolfenstein series, Machinegames opts for a more intimate brawling combat system. Its a more personal approach to first-person fighting, which has me slugging foes with heavy hits, blocking, and occasionally using my whip to disarm Nazis or drag them into a hold. Theres a satisfying heft to each punch, especially when I sneak up behind an enemy and unwind a charged-up sucker punch to knock them down in an instant.There are a few guns, like Indys trusty revolver, but players need to think twice about using them. Firing off a shot is a quick way to alert every Nazi in the vicinity to their presence. Instead, the real hook here is an improvised weapon system, where any object that can be picked up becomes a bludgeon that can take out an enemy in one hit if you sneak up on them. Shovels, sledgehammers, toilet brushes all of them are equally dangerous in Indys hands, even if they break after a few hits.The Third Reichs legacy will always be interlinked with images of Nazi soldiers having their junk smashed in with rakes.Its a thin system, but one thats delightfully cathartic. When I sneak up on an enemy with a boat oar, I watch as Indy uses it to hit a Nazi with a low blow before breaking it over their head. The treasure trove of slapstick takedown animations does everything in its power to humiliate its fascist enemies. While Wolfenstein basked in its ultraviolet retribution, theres something just as enticing here about letting players get up close and personal with Nazis and embarrass them.Fascists make for gullible stooges, Indy rightfully observes at one point.Some of The Great Circles more dated design even inadvertently supports that. The enemy AI is classically laughable here; its the kind of stealth game where you can break a guitar over someones head without alerting someone 2 feet in front of them. At first, I rolled my eyes at how much I could get away with. But I slowly came to appreciate the silliness of it as it sells The Great Circles radical depiction of fascists as bumbling idiots. Theyre loud-mouthed morons who can be knocked out with little effort so long as you get the jump on them. They can tear Indy up with bullets if they find him, but theyre useless without that power.BethesdaTheres something comforting about that depiction, especially in an age where fascists are regaining ground around the world. Were living through a terrifying moment where it has become socially acceptable for elected officials to parrot white supremacist ideology and make excuses for Nazi marches, but The Great Circle reminds us that these are short-term wins. With enough time, history will always remember fascists as monsters. They always become cartoon villains who exist to have their faces punched in. The Third Reichs legacy will always be interlinked with images of Nazi soldiers having their junk smashed in with rakes.Thats the real great circle orbiting Machinegames satisfying new take on Indiana Jones; its a reminder that what goes around comes around in the cyclical nature of history. Those who are dangerous today will become another generations punchline.Indiana Jones and the Great Circle was tested on Xbox Series X with a code provided by the publisher.Editors Recommendations

Moonlighter 2: The Endless Vault | Announcement TrailerMoonlighter 2: The Endless Vault was announced during todays PC Gaming Show event. Its a sequel to 2018s Moonlighter, a hidden gem in which players balance exploring dungeons with being a shopkeeper.Recommended VideosThe original Moonlighter is the game that put developer Digital Sun on the map; the studio has since gone on to work on games such as The Mageseeker: A League of Legends Story and Cataclismo. Digital Sun is now returning to the IP that kicked things off for it with the help of 11 bit Studios, which also published the original and is known for games like Frostpunk 2. Moonlighter 2 looks like it will be a faithful continuation of the originals format as it continues to follow the adventures of Will, the shopkeeper players controlled in the first game.The biggest differences seem to be that Moonlighter 2 has 3D visuals rather than pixel art graphics and a new setting. In Moonlighter 2, Will has to build up his shop from scratch in the village of Tresna after its trapped in a mysterious dimension. Players have to explore Vaults and fight the enemies within to find treasure that can be sold in Wills shop while they also search for a way home.11 bit StudiosIf you were a fan of the original Moonlighter, this sequel seems poised to deliver more of that entertaining formula, with Digital Sun CEO Javier Gimenez saying in a press release that the studio wants to make a game thats not just better, but brimming with even more charm in every detail.Moonlighter 2: The Endless Vault will be released for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S sometime in 2025. If youre interested in other news from the PC Gaming Show, the creator of PlayerUnknowns Battlegrounds announced several new games.Editors RecommendationsFrostpunk 2 will come to PC Game Pass when it launches this year

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The English director returns with a blistering drama starring Marianne Jean-Baptiste as a ferocious and unhappy London woman.