A woman has been arrested for threatening a health insurance employee just weeks after the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.

On December 4, Thompson was fatally shot outside a hotel in New York.

A nationwide manhunt was sparked following his murder, and Luigi Mangione has been named a key suspect in the case.

Mangione, 26, was apprehended on Monday (December 9) and has since been charged with Thompson’s murder.

Mangione is believed to have carved a chilling three-word message on the bullets that Thompson was killed with.

According to police, the bullets read ‘deny’, ‘depose’, ‘defend’ on them.

The message is said to be in reference to a book written by Rutgers Law School professor Jay M. Feinman. It’s titled Delay, Deny, Defend: Why insurance companies don’t pay claims and what you can do about it.

Now, a Florida resident has reportedly used the same words in an apparent threat to a Blue Cross Blue Shield employee following a declined health insurance claim.

Boston, 42, went on to be arrested for the remarks she made after the employee she uttered them to called the FBI.

The Lakeland Police Department later arrived at Boston’s home to discuss the matter with her and she was arrested.

An arrest affidavit says that Boston ‘acknowledged’ she said the words and apologized for the sentiments made, The Independent reports.

The 42-year-old said she had learnt of the phrase following Brian Thompson’s death and believed it suited her situation in light of her claim being rejected.

“Boston further stated the healthcare companies played games and deserved karma from the world because they are evil,” the affidavit added.

The 42-year-old woman’s bond has been set at $100,000 (WFLA News Channel 8)

However, the mother-of-three insisted that she ‘didn’t mean anything by it’ and that she does not own any firearms.

But Boston has since been charged with threats to conduct a mass shooting or an act of terrorism.

Speaking on her arrest, Lakeland Police Chief Sam Taylor said, as per WFLA: “She’s been in this world long enough that she certainly should know better that you can’t make threats like that in the current environment that we live in and think that we’re not going to follow up and put you in jail.”

A judge has set Boston’s bond at $100,000.

Josh Penner, the Mayor of Orting, shared a picture of the letter on X on Thursday (5 December) sent from UnitedHealthcare. He claimed the multinational health insurance company ‘repeatedly denied’ his son a wheelchair.

The letter was sent in 2022 regarding Penner’s son Luke. A request from Olympic Pharmacy & Healthcare Services asked for a ‘group three power wheelchair with features’, which have advanced qualities.

However, this was denied and a ‘simpler’ group two power wheelchair was suggested instead.

“Based on review of the information provided, the request for an advanced group three (3) power wheelchair with features was denied on 12/2/2022,” the letter states.

“The reason for the denial is: Your child’s doctor asked for an advanced group three power wheelchair with features. These are requested to help your child’s mobility. This is because your child has cerebral palsy. This is a condition that can cause muscle weakness. We reviewed your child’s health plan rules. If a wheelchair is not approved, its features cannot be approved.”

There are renewed debates about the state of US health care (warodom changyencham / Getty)

The letter says the request can only be approved if the child’s records show, ‘a simpler wheelchair is not available to help with your child’s mobility’ and ‘a simpler wheelchair cannot meet your child’s needs’.

According to the letter, UnitedHealthcare reviewed the child’s records and said they showed, ‘a simpler wheelchair is available to help with your child’s mobility’ and ‘a simpler wheelchair can meet your child’s needs.’

It is unclear how many requests were made and denied for an advanced group three wheelchair. The letter, however, concludes: “Unfortunately, this request is not approved. It is not medically necessary. A simple group two (2) power wheelchair may be asked to be reviewed. Please speak with your child’s doctor if you have any questions.”

Penner posted alongside a picture of the letter: “TBT to when @UHC #UnitedHealthcare repeatedly denied my son’s wheelchair.”

He also responded to fellow X users who expressed concern.

“We are very fortunate now to have other means,” he said in response to a follower. “But at the time it was depressing and demoralizing – and frankly not right! I surely didn’t expect the post to go viral, but did want to make sure people knew this sort of behavior is common enough with this company.”

Another commenter said: “This letter is the epitome of everything that is wrong with our broken healthcare system!”

The letter was shared following the killing of UnitedHealthcare’s Brian Thompson, the CEO of the group’s insurance division this week.

Luigi Nicholas Mangione, 26, has been charged with the murder of the father-of-two as officials caught up with him while reading in a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania, following a tip-off from one of the fast-food chain’s employees.

According to an online document, Mangione, whose last known residency is Honolulu, Hawaii, has been charged with the murder of the 50-year-old, as well as possessing an unlicensed firearm, forgery, and providing false ID to cops.

Mangione, who graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 2020 with undergraduate and graduate degrees in computer science, was found with a gun, mask, and writings that linked him to the ambush.

He is currently being held in a jail in Pennsylvania awaiting to be extradited to New York to face charges in connection with Mr Thompson’s death.

Mangione was ordered to be held without bail during a brief court hearing.

The UnitedHealthcare CEO was fatally shot three times from behind outside of the Hilton Hotel on Wednesday (December 4) at 6.46am in Manhattan, New York City.

Brian Thompson was just 50 years old when he was gunned down on December 4 (UnitedHealth Group)

Thompson was walking to an insurance conference hosted by his company when he was targeted by the suspect, who was ‘lying in wait’ for around five minutes, the New York Police Department confirmed.

While on the run, Mangione left breadcrumbs for the FBI of his movements prior to the attack, as well as after it – including dumping a bag in Central Park with Monopoly money and a jacket inside it.

Asked if he needed a public defender, he reportedly asked if he could ‘answer that at a future date’.

The chance sighting at the restaurant led to a dramatic break in the fast-moving investigation that has captivated the public in the five days since the shooting that shook the health insurance industry.

Mangione had a gun believed to be the one used in last Wednesday’s shooting of Brian Thompson, as well as writings suggesting anger with corporate America, police said.

He was sitting at a table in the rear of the McDonald’s wearing a blue medical mask and looking at a laptop computer, documents said.

The suspect looks directly at a camera while speaking to a cab driver following the murder of Brian Thompson (DCPI)

When an officer asked if he had been to New York recently, he ‘became quiet and started to shake’.

In his backpack, police found a black 3D-printed pistol and a 3D-printed black silencer, according to the documents.

The pistol had a metal slide and plastic handle with a metal threaded barrel. He was taken into custody about 9.15am, Pennsylvania police said.

“He is believed to be our person of interest in the brazen, targeted murder of Brian Thompson,” New York Police commissioner Jessica Tisch said.

Mangione had clothing and a mask similar to those worn by the gunman and a fraudulent New Jersey ID matching one the suspect used to check into a New York City hostel before the shooting, Ms Tisch said.

The 26-year-old suspect’s last known address was in Honolulu, Hawaii (Altoona Police Department via Getty Images)

NYPD chief of detectives Joseph Kenny said Mangione was born and raised in Maryland, and has ties to San Francisco.

Police found a three-page document with writings suggesting Mangione had ‘ill will toward corporate America‘, Mr Kenny said.

The handwritten document ‘speaks to both his motivation and mindset’, Ms Tisch said.

Mangione had a ghost gun, a type of weapon that can be assembled at home from parts without a serial number, making them difficult to trace, investigators said.

“As of right now the information we’re getting from Altoona is that the gun appears to be a ghost gun that may have been made on a 3D printer, capable of firing a 9mm round,” Mr Kenny said.

NYPD detectives and staff from the Manhattan district attorney’s office travelled to Altoona to interview Mangione, he said.

Mr Thompson, 50, was killed last Wednesday as he walked alone to a hotel, where UnitedHealthcare’s parent company, UnitedHealth Group, was holding its annual investor conference.