(Reuters) -UnitedHealth Group on Thursday named Tim Noel, the head of its Medicare business, to the top job at its health insurance business, a month after the unit's former CEO Brian Thompson was killed.

The brazen killing of Thompson on Dec. 4 ignited a broad conversation about the frustrations of navigating the U.S. healthcare system.

UnitedHealthcare is the largest U.S. health insurer that provides benefits to more than 50 million Americans.

The company's shares rose 1.7% to $528.52.

(Reporting by Mariam Sunny and Sriparna Roy in Bengaluru)