Everyone has stories about dealing with health insurance companies, whether it’s a procedure that requires a hard-to-get prior authorization, a flat denial of coverage or just the usual yearly increases in premiums.

Once you reach a certain age, you find yourself on the telephone trying to get answers about health care coverage or trying to navigate a company’s website during the annual open-enrollment period.

That usually happens in December, so maybe you’re dealing with it right now.

But as annoying and frustrating as dealing with insurance companies can be, there is one thing we hope you never do: Turn to violence.

But that’s what Luigi Mangione allegedly did on Dec. 4, when he allegedly stalked and assassinated UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson on a New York City street.

The video of the cold-blooded murder quickly hit social media amid speculation about the gunman’s motives. The mystery captured attention worldwide and continued to make headlines even after Mangione was spotted and arrested at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pa., a few days later.

The 26-year-old suspect was initially charged with murder, but on Tuesday prosecutors in New York added a charge of murder as an act of terrorism.

The Associated Press reported that investigators theorize that Mangione, an Ivy League computer science graduate from a prominent Maryland family, was motivated by anger at the U.S. health care system. The AP obtained a law enforcement bulletin that said when he was arrested, Mangione was carrying a handwritten letter that called health insurance companies “parasitic” and complained about corporate greed.

Prosecutors are working to bring Mangione back to a New York courtroom from a Pennsylvania jail.

Brian Thompson, 50, was a husband and father of two high school-age children. The family lived in Iowa. Thompson was in New York for a work-related conference.

Whatever any of us think about health care, corporations and CEOs, this man and his family did not deserve this. And yet, numerous social media accounts — presumably belonging to human beings — celebrated Thompson’s assassination.

Who are these people? Why have they become so callous? Why are they so twisted that they can read about this grotesque public execution — and watch it — and consider Mangione some kind of hero?

It isn’t just mostly anonymous folks on social media. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Massachusetts) went on television in the wake of Thompson’s murder and said this:

“Violence is never the answer, but people can be pushed only so far.”

In other words, murder is wrong, but hey, this guy was really angry, so it’s sort of understandable.

Is this where we are today in America? If so, we’re in trouble as a nation and as human beings.

Then there is this, from comedian Bill Burr:

“I love that (expletive) CEOs are (expletive) afraid right now. You should be! By and large, you’re all a bunch of selfish greedy (expletive) pieces of (expletive).”

If this is what America has come to as 2024 fades from view, there might be a lot of angry Luigi Mangiones out there with scores to settle.

That should frighten every single one of us.