Healthcare executives leaving the first day of a prominent industry conference in Union Square were met by roughly 40 protesters clutching signs reading “United Healthcare JP Morgan out” and “Stop killing Americans for profit.”
The annual J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference is expected to draw 20,000 to the Westin St. Francis hotel through Thursday.
This week’s conference is the first major industry gathering since the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson last month in New York City. Event organizers and the San Francisco Police Department ramped up security in the wake of the shooting. The SFPD declined to share specifics on the heightened security measures but said in a statement that it had canceled some officers’ time off to ensure that the four-day event would be “fully staffed.”
Conference attendees streaming out of the hotel’s Powell Street entrance seemed largely unfazed by the protesters.
“How dare you work for this company,” one attendee said to another as they walked past the demonstrators chuckling.
But for those holding the signs, it’s not a joke.
Kenneth Lundgreen, 71, expressed dismay over his struggles with healthcare companies, including losing his dental insurance after having his teeth pulled for dentures.
Lundgreen, a Medicare user, said he paid a $3,000 copay to have his teeth removed and replaced with dentures under Aetna six months ago. But after the procedure, his insurance provider was switched to UnitedHealthcare, which does not cover dental work. United won’t cover the cost of having them fitted — about $23,000 — he said.
“So I just don’t wear them,” Lundgreen said.
![A person in a wheelchair holds a sign saying "Socialize Healthcare Now," surrounded by people on a city street. Another sign reads "Stop [?]" in the background.](https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/8221565932_healthcareconferenceprotest_aar_19-edited.jpg?w=3840&q=75)
The demonstration was organized by a coalition of labor advocacy organizations that claim healthcare providers and insurance companies prioritize profits over patients. They’re demanding that the private healthcare industry be replaced with a single-payer model similar to those of Canada and European countries.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta on Monday issued a warning to healthcare companies and other businesses, saying use of AI technology to evaluate and deny claims could violate laws, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.
Labor journalist and protest organizer Steve Zeltzer told The Standard he is not completely against the use of AI in healthcare but said it’s a powerful tool that should be used to help patients — not to deny claims or take jobs.
“We’re not against AI,” Zeltzer said. “We want it for the people.”
Retired physician Susan Joseph, 60, said her sister has to fight claim denials every six months for laser eye treatment to stave off blindness caused by diabetes. The procedure, photocoagulation, costs thousands of dollars without health insurance, Joseph said, adding that her sister has gone so far as to hire a $200-an-hour consultant to fight claim denials.
“The MO is to deny claims. It’s standard procedure,” Joseph said. “She shouldn’t have to fight it.”
