UnitedHealth Group Taps Former FDA Chief And Medicare Advisor To Board

Former FDA Commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb Joins UnitedHealth Group Board of Directors

UnitedHealth Group Tuesday named former U.S. Food and Drug Administration commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb to its board of directors.

Gottlieb, who is 53 years old, served as FDA commissioner from 2017 to 2019 during the first Trump administration and also held key roles at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services during the administration of George W. Bush when the Medicare part D drug benefit was implemented.

Adding Gottlieb to UnitedHealth’s board comes at a critical time for health insurance companies as they navigate rising costs, particularly in their business administering Medicare Advantage plans. Meanwhile, health insurers are increasingly faced with the launch of new and more expensive drugs derived by biotechnology like GLP-1 drugs for weight loss.

UnitedHealth owns the nation’s largest health insurer, UnitedHealthcare, and also operates one of the nation’s largest health services companies in Optum, which owns the pharmacy benefit management company OptumRx and an array of medical care provider assets from doctor practices to surgery centers and outpatient clinics.

“Scott has had an exceptional health care career in both the public and private sectors,” said Stephen J. Hemsley, UnitedHealth Group’s CEO and executive board chairman who returned to run the company earlier this year. “He is an innovator who constantly advocates for a more integrated health care approach supported by the latest technology. We welcome his deep expertise and thought leadership as we strive to help people live healthier lives and make the health system work better for everyone.”

Gottlieb is well known in Washington policy circles as well as the business community. He is an elected member of the National Academy of Medicine and serves
as a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and is a partner at New Enterprise Associates, UnitedHealth’s announcement naming him to the board said. He is also known for contributing medical, healthcare business and policy analysis to CNBC and CBS News.

“I look forward to working with UnitedHealth Group to help shape how medical breakthroughs are developed and made accessible to patients who may benefit from them,” Gottlieb said. “I hope to leverage my experience to support providers in their delivery of care that’s not only more innovative but also more affordable, and that improves outcomes for patients and communities.”