Once in a while, there comes a crisis or current event that lets us know how many Americans feel about a particular issue. The hearts and minds of the people who make up this country are diverse and complex, and it’s hard to predict how people will react to situations when they arise. That’s why some observers were surprised when UnitedHealthCare CEO Brian Thompson was shot and killed on a Manhattan sidewalk on Dec. 4, that a lack of sympathy was evident in the public’s response to this violent act.

In New York, people deliberately dressed like the gunman and met in Central Park, where he was believed to have headed after the shooting. Internet sleuths, who devote their personal time to helping the police solve crimes that are unusually difficult, decided to sit this one out. Elsewhere online, social media posts such as one that read, “Thoughts and prayers require prior approval,” went viral. His employer, along with his immediate family and a handful of politicians and executives offered sympathetic statements, but they were barely noticed in the outrage.

There were two stories happening here. One involved the manhunt for the suspect in the shooting, who was captured this week at a Pennsylvania McDonald’s with a handful of hash browns that he realized too late should’ve been a to-go order. As that story has reached its conclusion, perhaps it’s time to focus on the other topic that this incident has brought to light – Americans have grown increasingly frustrated with the health insurance industry.

“I have stage 4 metastatic lung cancer,” a woman wrote on Thompson’s social media. “We’ve just left [UnitedHealthcare] because of all the denials for my meds. Every month there is a different reason for the denial.”

Stories like hers are all too common, and Thompson’s murder has cast a harsh spotlight on the health insurance industry’s tarnished reputation. The question now is what will the industry do about it? So far, responses from industry executives have been mixed. Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield reversed a controversial policy limiting anesthesia coverage during surgeries, but didn’t say their decision was connected to recent events. Other companies have scrubbed their websites to hide the names and biographies of their executives. Earlier this week, the CEO of UnitedHealth Group, Andrew Witty, in a leaked video, said the company will continue to prevent “unnecessary” and “unsafe” care. He also reportedly said that criticism of the insurance company “does not reflect reality.”

The reality is that many people are sick of the way they and their loved ones have been treated by private health insurance companies. This violent event, along with the viral posts and public displays, shows that people want change. Will the health insurance system make changes that put patients first — or continue to stretch the limits of everyone’s patience?