UnitedHealthcare names new CEO after Brian Thompson’s killing

UnitedHealthcare has a new CEO, weeks after its former chief executive was killed.

The largest U.S. health insurer on Thursday said Tim Noel, a company executive, will be its next CEO. Noel will fill the role most recently held by Brian Thompson, who was shot on a New York City street in early December.

Luigi Mangione, a 26-year-old man, has been apprehended and charged in the killing.

Thompson’s killing sparked a national outcry over the U.S. health care system, including its denied claims and high costs. The country has the most expensive health care in the world.

UnitedHealthcare’s parent company, UnitedHealth Group, is one of the largest companies in the world, and touches on almost every aspect of how Americans access care.

“The health system needs to function better,” Andrew Witty, UnitedHealth Group’s CEO, told investors last week. He added that his company’s mission “is to improve this system for everybody and help people live healthier lives.”

Noel joined UnitedHealth in 2007, and most recently oversaw UnitedHealthcare’s Medicare and retirement business.

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,” the company said in an emailed statement.