Obamacare Startup Oscar Hires Clinical Chief for Care Push

(Bloomberg) -- Startup health insurer Oscar Insurance Corp. hired Dennis Weaver as chief clinical officer to oversee work with doctors and hospitals and help build tighter partnerships with health systems.

Weaver, a physician who was previously chief medical officer at health and education consultant Advisory Board Co., will start at Oscar on Aug. 14. The role is new, though he will take on some responsibilities previously held by Shaden Marzouk, the chief medical officer who left Oscar late last year.

Oscar has relied on narrow networks crafted in partnership with hospital groups to expand into new markets for Obamacare plans, saying they can help limit costs for members and provide better care. The company will sell Affordable Care Act plans in the Cleveland area for next year in a venture with the Cleveland Clinic, for example.

“Dennis's extensive experience working with providers and health systems helping them transition to population health more aggressively will also be instrumental as we look to expand and partner closely with health systems,” said Oscar Chief Executive Officer Mario Schlosser.

Weaver is leaving Advisory Board as that firm undergoes a strategic review. The company is preparing to split itself up and sell the pieces to UnitedHealth Group Inc. and Vista Equity Partners, people familiar with the matter said last month.

In addition to a medical degree from the University of Iowa, Weaver has an MBA from Washington University in St. Louis. He trained as an obstetrician and gynecologist.

To contact the reporter on this story: Zachary Tracer in New York at ztracer1@bloomberg.net.

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Drew Armstrong at darmstrong17@bloomberg.net, Timothy Annett, Cecile Daurat