UnitedHealth(UNH)

UnitedHealth Group is the largest US health insurance company and one of the largest companies in the world by revenue, operating through two primary business segments: UnitedHealthcare (health insurance for individuals, employers, Medicare Advantage, and Medicaid) and Optum (health services, pharmacy benefits management, and care delivery). Listed on NYSE (NYSE: UNH) and headquartered in Minnetonka, Minnesota, UnitedHealth generates approximately $372 billion in annual revenue and insures approximately 50 million Americans.\n\nUnitedHealthcare provides employer-sponsored group health insurance (the largest business segment), individual marketplace plans, Medicare Advantage plans (one of the largest MA insurers), and Medicaid managed care plans across all 50 states. Optum provides pharmacy benefits management (OptumRx, managing prescription benefits for insured members), care delivery (Optum Health operates clinic networks and physician groups with over 90,000 physicians), and health IT services (OptumInsight provides analytics and technology to health systems and payers).\n\nIn 2025, UnitedHealth Group faces extraordinary challenges following the December 2024 murder of CEO Brian Thompson and the subsequent investigation of its claims denial practices, which drew intense public and regulatory scrutiny of insurance industry practices. The company also manages the aftermath of the February 2024 Change Healthcare cyberattack (Change Healthcare is an Optum subsidiary) — one of the largest healthcare data breaches in US history, affecting approximately 190 million Americans and causing multi-billion dollar financial losses. UnitedHealth competes with Elevance Health (Anthem), CVS Health (Aetna), and Cigna for health insurance and pharmacy benefits market share. The 2025 strategy involves managing regulatory pressure, restoring Change Healthcare operations, and continuing Optum's vertical integration strategy.