Google's former head of search products has just joined insurer Anthem to run its A.I. group

UnitedHealth has dozens of data scientist positions open, according to its jobs page, and start-ups like Devoted Health and Oscar Health, which includes Alphabet as an investor, are taking on industry incumbents through digital tracking tools, analytics and easy-to-use apps. Anthem and other legacy insurers are moving ahead to modernize. "It seems like both an offensive and defensive move," said Ari Gottlieb, principal at A2 Strategy Group, which specializes in health insurance. "It suggests that they won't want to lose customers to rival health plans, both start-ups and established players, which are also making investments in technology and customer experience." Gottlieb said that in hiring Manber, Anthem is working towards "leveraging the huge amount of data they have to drive improved health outcomes."