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Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield makes major U-turn following the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson Follow all the latest news and updates in the manhunt for UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson's killer By JOE HUTCHISON FOR DAILYMAIL.COM Published: 22:31 GMT, 5 December 2024 | Updated: 23:27 GMT, 5 December 2024 e-mail View comments Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield have reversed a policy change that would have seen them tie payments in some states to the length of time a patient went under anesthesia . The insurance company, which is one of the largest health insurance companies in the country, backtracked on the move following widespread outcry. Their decision came just a day after UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was shot dead in Manhattan on Wednesday morning. In a statement the company said: 'To be clear, it never was and never will be the policy of Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield to not pay for medically necessary anesthesia services. 'The proposed update to the policy was only designed to clarify the appropriateness of anesthesia consistent with well-established clinical guidelines.' The company would have used 'physician work time values,' which is published by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, as the metric for anesthesia limits, with maternity patients and patients under the age of 22 were exempt. Last month, the American Society for Anesthesiologists called on Anthem to 'reverse the proposal immediately'. Thompson was named UnitedHealthcare CEO in 2021 and earned a reported $10 million a year, and for several years prior he ran the Medicare business within UnitedHealthcare. The insurance company, which is one of the largest health insurance companies in the country, backtracked on the move following widespread outcry Their decision came just a day after UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, seen here, was shot dead in Manhattan on Wednesday morning He was slated to speak at an investor meeting at the Hilton Hotel soon after the shooting on Wednesday morning. According to a release from United Healthcare on Tuesday, he would announce the company's hugely profitable 2025 financial outlook, including expected revenues upwards of $450 billion. UnitedHealthCare had hired security for their top executives with Thompson having his own security detail for the event who were absent when he was gunned down. As news of his assassination circulated on Wednesday morning, many major healthcare providers beefed up their personal protection for their top execs, according to CNN. Former Washington Post journalist Taylor Lorenz sparked outrage after she shared information and a picture of Blue Cross CEO Kim Keck online following the news. Lorenz insisted she posted the information on her social media page for people to write in to 'peacefully' to complain, adding: 'And people wonder why we want these execs dead.' Authorities say the gunman fled the scene on foot before then making a getaway on an electric bike into nearby Central Park. Surveillance footage of the shooting shows Thompson walking alone outside of the entrance to the midtown hotel when the gunman steps into frame and opens fire. The terrifying video shows the masked killer draw out a large gun and shoot Thompson in the back, sending the CEO stumbling down the street as he continues to fire. As Thompson stumbled down the street, a witness in the hotel's entryway sprinted away The New York Police Department released the above image on Thursday of the main suspect Your browser does not support iframes. As the manhunt extended into its second day on Thursday, officers said they had searched Long Island Rail Road train the day previously after receiving a tip the killer was onboard. The tip turned out to be a dead-end, however law enforcement officials urged the public to continue offering tips to aid their ongoing manhunt. Investigators also believe that the killer left his personal phone at the scene, and not a burner as had been initially reported. Authorities also swooped on the HI New York City Hostel in Manhattan's Upper West Side where the suspect is believed to have stayed. He is thought to have stayed in the shared room facility on Tuesday evening, and checked in with a fake ID from New Jersey. The weapon used in the shooting is also now believed to have been a modern version of a rare World War II gun. Sources told The New York Post that detectives are focusing their efforts on a Connecticut gun store they believe sold the B&T VP9 gun. The weapon used in the shooting is also now believed to have been a modern version of a rare World War II gun, seen here Members of the New York police crime scene unit photograph bullets lying on the sidewalk as they investigate the scene outside the Hilton Hotel Bullets lie on the sidewalk at the scene outside the Hilton Hotel in midtown Manhattan where Thompson was fatally shot Detectives investigating the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson also found shell casings with the words 'deny', 'defend' and 'depose' inscribed on them. Detectives are now working to determine what the words mean and if they could possibly hint at a motive for the slaying of the 50-year-old. Thompson's family left a note on the door of their Minnesota mansion describing the exec as an 'incredibly loving, generous, talented man'. Newly appointed police commissioner Jessica Tisch said the shooter appeared to be 'lying in wait for several minutes' before approaching Thompson. Tisch added: 'Many people passed the suspect, but he appeared to wait for his intended target', and said that it did not 'appear to be a random act of violence'. Authorities also swooped on the HI New York City Hostel, seen here, in Manhattan's Upper West Side where the suspect is believed to have stayed 'From watching the video, it does seem that he's proficient in the use of firearms as he was able to clear the malfunctions pretty quickly,' NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said. His schedule was widely known, and witnesses have said the suspected gunman even knew which door Thompson was going to emerge from before opening fire. Still, the investor conference reportedly began without interruption at 8am on the second floor of the Hilton until news of the shooting began to circulate. Without knowing it was Thompson who was hit, one attendee told the group that 'someone got shot outside.' CEO of parent company United Healthgroup Andrew Witty is said to have halted the meeting at the hotel just after 8am upon hearing of the tragedy . He told attendees: 'We're dealing with a very serious medical situation with one of our team members. As a result, I'm afraid, we're going to have to bring to a close the event.' Brian Thompson Share or comment on this article: Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield makes major U-turn following the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson e-mail Add commentBROOKFIELD, News, Nov. 27, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Brookfield Infrastructure Partners L.P. (“BIP”) (NYSE: BIP; TSX: BIP.UN) today announced that the Toronto Stock Exchange (the “TSX”) accepted a notice filed by BIP of its intention to renew its normal course issuer bid for its outstanding limited partnership units (“LP Units”) and its cumulative class A preferred limited partnership units (“Preferred Units”, and together with LP Units, “Units”). Brookfield Infrastructure Corporation (“BIPC”) (NYSE/TSX: BIPC) also today announced that the TSX accepted a notice filed by BIPC of its intention to renew its normal course issuer bid for its outstanding class A exchangeable subordinate voting shares (“Exchangeable Shares”). BIP and BIPC believe that the renewed normal course issuer bid will provide the flexibility to use available funds to purchase Units or Exchangeable Shares, as applicable, should they be trading in price ranges that do not fully reflect their value. Under BIP’s normal course issuer bid, the Board of Directors of the general partner of BIP authorized BIP to repurchase up to 5% of the issued and outstanding LP Units, or up to 23,088,572 LP Units. At the close of business on November 19, 2024, there were 461,771,450 LP Units issued and outstanding. Under BIP’s normal course issuer bid, it may repurchase up to 126,133 LP Units on the TSX during any trading day, which represents 25% of the average daily trading volume of 504,532 LP Units on the TSX for the six months ended October 31, 2024, calculated in accordance with the rules of the TSX. BIP currently has four series of Preferred Units outstanding and that trade on the TSX. Under BIP’s normal course issuer bid, BIP is authorized to repurchase up to 10% of the total public float of each series of Preferred Units as follows: Under BIPC’s normal course issuer bid, the Board of Directors of BIPC authorized BIPC to repurchase up to 10% of the total public float of Exchangeable Shares, or up to 11,889,600 Exchangeable Shares. At the close of business on November 19, 2024, there were 132,029,368 Exchangeable Shares issued and outstanding and 118,896,006 Exchangeable Shares in the public float. Under BIPC’s normal course issuer bid, it may repurchase up to 46,896 Exchangeable Shares on the TSX during any trading day, which represents 25% of the average daily trading volume of 187,586 Exchangeable Shares on the TSX for the six months ended October 31, 2024, calculated in accordance with the rules of the TSX. Repurchases under each normal course issuer bid are authorized to commence on December 2, 2024 and each normal course issuer bid will terminate on December 1, 2025, or earlier should BIP or BIPC, as applicable, complete its repurchases under its respective normal course issuer bid prior to such date. Under BIP’s current normal course issuer bid that commenced on December 1, 2023 and expires on November 30, 2024, BIP previously sought and received approval from the TSX to repurchase up to 23,107,234 LP Units, 498,926 Series 1 Preferred Units, 498,586 Series 3 Preferred Units, 798,659 Series 9 Preferred Units and 993,619 Series 11 Preferred Units. BIP has not repurchased any Units under its current normal course issuer bid in the past twelve months. Under BIPC’s normal course issuer bid that commenced on December 1, 2023 and expires on November 30, 2024, BIPC previously sought and received approval from the TSX to repurchase up to 11,867,195 Exchangeable Shares. BIPC has not repurchased any Exchangeable Shares under its current normal course issuer bid in the past twelve months. Repurchases of Series 1, Series 3, Series 9 and Series 11 Preferred Units will be effected through the facilities of the TSX and/or alternative trading systems. Repurchases of LP Units and Exchangeable Shares will be effected through the facilities of the TSX, the NYSE and/or alternative trading systems. All Units and Exchangeable Shares acquired by BIP and BIPC, respectively, under the applicable normal course issuer bid will be cancelled. Repurchases will be subject to compliance with applicable United States federal securities laws, including Rule 10b-18 under the United States Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, as well as applicable Canadian securities laws. BIP and BIPC intend to enter into automatic share purchase plans on or about the week of December 23, 2024 in relation to their respective normal course issuer bids. The automatic share purchase plans will allow for the purchase of Units or Exchangeable Shares, as applicable, subject to certain trading parameters, at times when BIP or BIPC ordinarily would not be active in the market due to its own internal trading blackout periods, insider trading rules or otherwise. Outside these periods, the Units or Exchangeable Shares will be repurchased in accordance with management’s discretion, subject to applicable law. Brookfield Infrastructure is a leading global infrastructure company that owns and operates high-quality, long-life assets in the utilities, transport, midstream and data sectors across the Americas, Asia Pacific and Europe. We are focused on assets that have contracted and regulated revenues that generate predictable and stable cash flows. Investors can access its portfolio either through Brookfield Infrastructure Partners L.P. (NYSE: BIP; TSX: BIP.UN), a Bermuda-based limited partnership, or Brookfield Infrastructure Corporation (NYSE, TSX: BIPC), a Canadian corporation. Further information is available at . Brookfield Infrastructure is the flagship listed infrastructure company of Brookfield Asset Management, a global alternative asset manager with over US$1 trillion of assets under management. For more information, go to .

COSTA MESA, Calif. , Dec. 13, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Automatic, a leading fintech firm specializing in facilitating seamless connections between used independent car dealerships and lenders, today announced a strategic partnership with MeridianLink, Inc. (NYSE: MLNK), a leading provider of modern software platforms for financial institutions and consumer reporting agencies. This collaboration leverages Automatic's robust dealership network technology and MeridianLink's advanced decisioning capabilities to empower financial institutions within the automotive lending sector. Automatic's platform serves as a pivotal link for lenders across its expansive independent dealer network, offering tailored solutions that optimize loan aggregation and enhance operational efficiencies. MeridianLink's innovative Advanced Decisioning capabilities, integrated within Automatic's framework, augments decision-making for lenders across a vast network of dealerships. This integration enables real-time loan analysis, improves risk management capabilities, and facilitates faster, more precise lending decisions tailored to specific borrower profiles. "Partnering with MeridianLink ® marks a significant milestone for Automatic as we continue to innovate within the automotive financing landscape," said Eric Burney , CEO of Automatic. "Our mission to foster an 'Open Marketplace' is further realized through this collaboration, empowering lenders with tools to access new clients in a safe way." Financial institutions already integrated with MeridianLink will gain seamless access to Automatic's platform, empowering them to further streamline their lending processes, in the used independent space, enhancing member satisfaction, and capitalizing on market opportunities. For more information about Automatic and its comprehensive auto financing solutions, visit https://www.automaticusa.com . About Automatic Automatic is a pioneering fintech company dedicated to facilitating efficient connections between automotive lenders and independent pre-owned vehicle dealerships. Automatic's platform serves as a cost-effective solution for the automotive financing sector, fostering an open marketplace for stakeholders. About MeridianLink MeridianLink ® (NYSE: MLNK) empowers financial institutions and consumer reporting agencies to drive efficient growth. MeridianLink's cloud-based digital lending, account opening, background screening, and data verification solutions leverage shared intelligence from a unified data platform, MeridianLink ® One, to enable customers of all sizes to identify growth opportunities, effectively scale up, and support compliance efforts, all while powering an enhanced experience for staff and consumers alike. For more than 25 years, MeridianLink has prioritized the democratization of lending for consumers, businesses, and communities. Learn more at www.meridianlink.com . For media inquiries, please contact: nikki@automaticusa.co View original content: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/automatic-partners-with-meridianlink-to-revolutionize-lender-dealership-connectivity-302331536.html SOURCE AutomaticInfuSystem CEO Richard DiIorio sells $364,465 in stockPeter Langmack dies aged 73 as Penrith Panthers mourn record-setting try-scorer - 7NEWSWhite House says at least 8 US telecom firms, dozens of nations impacted by China hacking campaign