UnitedHealth Group shares plunged over 18% on May 15, 2025, following reports that the Department of Justice is investigating potential fraudulent practices in its Medicare Advantage business. The company denied the probe and labeled the reporting as 'deeply irresponsible', while affirming the integrity of its Medicare Advantage program.

UnitedHealth Group is under investigation by the DOJ over potential Medicare fraud in its Medicare Advantage business. The probe follows previous scrutiny and comes amid a significant drop in the company’s share price.

Following a temporary funding assistance program launched in early 2024, UnitedHealth Group later aggressively demanded immediate repayment from providers, intensifying financial pressures and fueling broader public frustration.

Senator Chuck Grassley has sent a detailed letter to UnitedHealth Group CEO Andrew Witty demanding comprehensive documentation on the company’s Medicare Advantage billing practices. Citing reports of fraud, waste, and abuse—including questionable diagnoses that led to $8.7 billion in extra payments in 2021—the inquiry highlights concerns over unethical diagnostic practices that may have defrauded Medicare and harmed taxpayers.

The U.S. Department of Justice has initiated a civil fraud investigation into UnitedHealth Group's Medicare billing practices following a report by The Wall Street Journal. The investigation focuses on how the company records diagnoses that could trigger extra payments under its Medicare Advantage plans, raising significant concerns over potential fraudulent or unethical business practices.

On February 21, 2025, the Department of Justice initiated an investigation into UnitedHealth Group's billing practices for its Medicare Advantage program. Reports indicate that the company may have inflated charges by upcoding patients' sickness scores to maximize reimbursements. The inquiry, which is separate from an ongoing antitrust probe into UnitedHealth, focuses on whether aggressive billing practices and software-driven diagnosis incentives contributed to higher government payments.

UnitedHealth Group's profile on OpenSecrets reveals that in the 2024 cycle, the company made political contributions of approximately $4.47 million and spent around $7.52 million on lobbying. This significant political financial activity raises concerns about corporate influence on political processes at the expense of worker rights and marginalized communities.

A lawsuit alleges that UnitedHealth Group’s subsidiary, Optum Rx, removed a life-saving asthma medication from its insurance formulary and replaced it with a much more expensive alternative without adequate notice. This pricing surge contributed to the preventable death of a young patient, highlighting unethical business practices that prioritize profit over patient care.

In early 2024, Change Healthcare—a subsidiary of UnitedHealth Group—suffered a major ransomware attack affecting millions, culminating in a $22 million ransom payment. This incident exposed vulnerabilities in safeguarding sensitive healthcare data.

UnitedHealth Group’s PAC contributed over $600,000 in donations to both Republican and Democratic House candidates and spent $16.6 million on lobbying during the 2024 cycle. This significant political spending highlights the company's active role in influencing political decisions, reflecting its substantial impact on the political landscape.

In 2023, reports detailed prolonged billing disputes and claim denials at UnitedHealth Group, with patients facing overbilling and opaque claim processes that left families financially strained and exhausted by prolonged resolution efforts.

UnitedHealth Group released its comprehensive 2023 report detailing its political contributions, PAC donations, trade association dues, and lobbying activities across federal and state levels. The detailed disclosure, while transparent, reveals extensive corporate engagement in the political arena, funding a wide spectrum of candidates and political committees.

UnitedHealth Group engaged a third party in 2022 to conduct a Human Rights Impact Assessment, emphasizing their commitment to inclusion, diversity, and ethical labor practices by assessing the human rights impact across its operations and value chain.