UCare closing offices amid safety concerns after UnitedHealthcare CEO’s killing

UCare will close its offices next week after receiving what the Minneapolis-based health plan described as a “concerning” phone call, the second such move by a Twin Cities insurer amid a surge in online hostility directed at insurance companies.

Minnetonka-based Medica, which employs about 3,000, confirmed this week that it was temporarily shutting down its headquarters in Minnetonka and offices in other states.

Insurers have seen a notable increase in threatening social media messages since Wednesday’s killing in New York of Brian Thompson, the top executive at Minnetonka-based UnitedHealthcare.

“We received a concerning comment in a phone call and, out of an abundance of caution, will close our offices next week,” UCare said in a statement Saturday. “Employees will work from home as UCare takes every precaution to protect our team.”

UCare, which employs about 1,700 people, did not offer any more information about the call.

Thompson, 50, of Maple Grove, was killed in a shooting that police say apparently targeted the executive.

Authorities have not speculated publicly on a motive, but the words “deny” and “delay” were written on bullet casings found at the scene, according to media reports. Thompson’s widow told NBC News that her husband had received threats possibly linked to coverage denials.

Before its decision to close offices, UCare this week started locking the front door of its headquarters in northeast Minneapolis.

Thompson’s killing “has created a new level of unease in our industry,” the Minnesota Council of Health Plans told the Minnesota Star Tribune in a statement. “The vitriol on social media following this tragic event is unsettling and concerning.”

“Thousands of people work for health plans here in the Twin Cities and across the state,” said the trade group, which is not an insurer but an association of health plans founded 40 years ago. “Not only are these Minnesotans dedicated and invested in supporting access to care, but they also receive their care here, they raise families here and they support their communities.”

UnitedHealthcare is the nation’s largest health insurer. A division of Minnetonka-based UnitedHealth Group, the company said Friday that it was partnering with law enforcement to ensure workplace safety. UnitedHealth employs about 19,000 people in Minnesota.

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota said Friday that it had elevated security measures and protocols at its headquarters in Eagan, while asking workers to “remain aware and vigilant and report any unusual activity.”