30,000 Strong and Counting, UnitedHealth Gathers a Doctor Army
- Insurer has been snapping up major physician groups since 2008
- A series of deals helps United outrun its rivals -- and Amazon
Photographer: Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images
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Disruptors are circling the health-care industry. UnitedHealth Group Inc., the biggest U.S. health insurer, has built an army of tens of thousands of physicians to fend off invaders.
Health care in the U.S. has been plunged into a high-speed reconfiguration that could redraw longstanding relationships between patients, doctors, drugmakers and insurers. Outsiders such as Amazon.com Inc. and Walmart Inc. are looking for ways to shake up the business.