Defamation cases are on the rise as social media has given more people a platform to 'publish' actionable content.

UnitedHealth Group Inc., the parent company of the UnitedHealthcare company whose CEO was shot and killed last December, has hired a law firm known for high-profile defamation litigation to represent it in demanding a doctor retract social media posts accusing the insurer of denying coverage.

UnitedHealth Group is making moves, and not just in the healthcare space. The insurance giant has hired Clare Locke, a defamation law firm, to address what it calls false and damaging social media claims.