UnitedHealth Group has named a new CEO for its UnitedHealthcare division nearly two months after the murder of its previous chief executive.
The company said in a statement that Tim Noel, a longtime executive who led its Medicare division, will become CEO of the insurance segment. Noel has been with UnitedHealth Group since 2007, the company said.
"He brings unparalleled experience to this role with a proven track record and strong commitment to improving how health care works for consumers, physicians, employers, governments and our other partners," UnitedHealth Group said.
UnitedHealthcare is the largest insurer in the U.S. and also the largest individual player in Medicare Advantage, with 7.8 million members as of Dec. 31, according to its latest earnings report.
There are also 4.3 million people enrolled in Medicare supplement plans through UnitedHealthcare, as well as 3 million enrollees in standalone Part D coverage, according to the report.
Noel's predecessor, Brian Thompson, was gunned down in Manhattan on Dec. 4 while walking to attend UnitedHealth Group's annual investor conference. Investigators quickly determined that the shooting was targeted, and bullets at the scene reportedly read "deny," "defend" and "depose," referencing purported strategies used by the insurance industry to stymie access.
Luigi Mangione, a 26-year-old native of Maryland, has been charged with first-degree murder as an act of terrorism in the case.
Following the news of Thompson's death, many people took to social media to air their grievances with UnitedHealth and the insurance industry writ large, and UnitedHealth Group CEO Andrew Witty acknowledged in an op-ed that the company and its peers shoulder some of the blame in the often frustrating and costly experience of healthcare in the U.S.
He said on the company's earnings call last week that the industry needs to be “less confusing, less complex and less costly" for patients.