Brian Thompson spent more than 20 years climbing through the ranks at UnitedHealthcare, one of the nation’s largest health insurers and a main division of the conglomerate UnitedHealth Group.
He had been chief executive since 2021, during a time in which the parent company and his division were rattled by federal investigations even as it enjoyed profitable growth. The division has been criticized by congressional lawmakers and federal regulators who accused it of systematically denying authorization for health care procedures and treatments.
Mr. Thompson managed a division that employs about 140,000 people and offers insurance plans to employers, individuals and to people enrolled in government programs.
UnitedHealth Group issued a statement shortly before noon on Wednesday: “We are deeply saddened and shocked at the passing of our dear friend and colleague Brian Thompson, the CEO of UnitedHealthcare. Brian was a highly respected colleague and friend to all who worked with him. We are working closely with the New York Police Department and ask for your patience and understanding during this difficult time. Our hearts go out to Brian’s family and all who were close to him.”
The insurance arm of UnitedHealth Group has also been under federal scrutiny because the parent company was the victim of a broad cyberattack on its billing and payment system, ChangeHealthcare. Private information, including health data, from more than 100 million Americans was compromised in the ransomware attack. The parent company paid $22 million in an effort to stop the hackers.
Ryan Langston, an analyst who covered UnitedHealth Group for TD Securities and was at the conference Wednesday morning, said that Mr. Thompson was respected within the company and in the financial community. “He was thought very highly of,” Mr. Langston said. “Just a very intelligent, smart guy that frankly I never heard a bad word about.”
After Mr. Thompson joined UnitedHealth Group in 2004, he rose steadily, running such key businesses as the company’s government plans, which include its profitable Medicare Advantage operations, which are private plans. UnitedHealthcare’s management of those plans has also been scrutinized by the federal government.
Before he went to work at United, Mr. Thompson spent nearly seven years at PricewaterhouseCoopers, also known as PwC, the large accounting firm. He graduated from the University of Iowa with an accounting degree in 1997.
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