From posting a $5.5 billion profit in the second quarter, to a former UnitedHealthcare executive being confirmed as the next CDC director, here are 10 updates on UnitedHealth Group and its subsidiaries that Becker’s has reported since July 20:
1. Luigi Mangione pleaded guilty to federal stalking charges in connection with the December 2024 killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson outside a Midtown Manhattan hotel.
2. Bethlehem, Pa.-based St. Luke’s University Health Network and UnitedHealthcare have automated claim status updates for 88% of the claims exchanged between the two organizations, using Epic’s Payer Platform, according to Epic’s newly released 2026-2027 Almanac.
3. UnitedHealth Group paid $3 billion for benefits administration platform Alegeus, according to an Aug. 10 filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
4. A federal judge in Minnesota signed off on a strict set of rules for how the data stolen in Change Healthcare’s 2024 cyberattack can be handled during the ongoing lawsuit.
5. Erica Schwartz, MD, was confirmed by the Senate as the next CDC director Aug. 5 in a 51-43 vote. Dr. Schwartz served as president of insurance solutions at UnitedHealthcare until her confirmation, and said she would leave the role, as well as board seats at Butterfly Network and Aveanna Healthcare.
6. UnitedHealth Group posted a $5.5 billion profit in the second quarter of 2026, the highest bottom-line figure among the nation’s largest health insurers.
7. UnitedHealthcare is rolling out new reimbursement limits on five categories of lab tests across its commercial, ACA, Medicare Advantage and Medicaid plans. The five policies cover allergen testing, liver fibrosis testing, in vitro chemotherapy sensitivity assays, testosterone blood tests and vitamin B12 testing.
8. Total medical costs for fully insured individuals rose 9% per person in 2025, an average increase of $722, according to UnitedHealth Group’s Center for Health Care Research.
9. UnitedHealth Group is now the fourth-largest company in the world by revenue, according to the 2026 Fortune Global 500.
10. A Delaware judge dismissed UnitedHealth Group’s defamation lawsuit against The Guardian following the outlet’s reporting last year that said the insurer secretly paid nursing homes to reduce hospital transfers for its Medicare Advantage members.
At the Becker's 5th Annual Fall Payer Issues Roundtable, taking place November 2–3 in Chicago, payer executives and healthcare leaders will come together to discuss value-based care, regulatory changes, cost management strategies and innovations shaping the future of payer-provider collaboration. Apply for complimentary registration now.
