UnitedHealth Group on Thursday named Tim Noel, head of its Medicare operations, to head its health insurance business, a month after the division's former CEO Brian Thompson was killed.
Mr. Noel takes charge at a critical moment for UnitedHealthcare, the nation's largest health insurance company, which provides benefits to more than 50 million Americans.
Thompson's brazen killing on Dec. 4 sparked a broader discussion about the frustrations of running the U.S. health care system.
Many Americans, who routinely pay higher medical bills than people in any other country, face claims denials, not having their medical bills covered, and requests for treatment denied. He is expressing his anger.
Meanwhile, the health insurance industry is struggling with rising costs due to increased demand for medical care under government-sponsored Medicare plans for the elderly and disabled.
Additionally, state-by-state changes in Medicaid eligibility mean that insurers have more patients in need of medical services.
UnitedHealth reported that its medical loss ratio, a measure that tracks costs, was higher than expected.
Mr. Noel joined the company in 2007 and most recently served as CEO of UnitedHealthcare's Medicare & Retirement division.
The parent company also operates Optum, which includes pharmacy benefits managers, specialty pharmacy, data analytics, and physician and surgical operations.
The company also owns Change Healthcare, a technology company that suffered a cyberattack last year that affected thousands of healthcare providers and millions of customers.
