News on UnitedHealth Group Inc.

Health secretary eyes "bright light" on insurers

2010-03-04T14:45:24Z

<div><p>WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Obama administration stepped up pressure on health insurance companies on Thursday, calling on some of the top U.S. companies to be more public in explaining "jaw-dropping" rate increases to consumers.</p><p>Reuters) - UnitedHealth Group Inc &lt;UNH.N&gt; said on Wednesday that its board had significantly increased the health insurer's stock buyback program.</p><p>UnitedHealth may now repurchase up to 120 million shares, including about 23 million remaining under a prev...

UnitedHealth Group's 4Q profit rises 30 percent

2010-02-22T17:12:33Z

<div id="subtitle">UnitedHealth Group's 4th-quarter profit climbs; commercial enrollment continues to stumble</div><div><p>Managed care company UnitedHealth Group Inc. wrapped up 2009 with a third-straight quarterly profit increase, but it starts 2010 still hampered by high unemployment, which hurts its biggest insurance segment.</p><p>...

On the Call: UnitedHealth CEO Stephen J. Hemsley

2010-02-22T16:56:50Z

<div id="subtitle">UnitedHealth CEO discusses insurer's earnings outlook for 2010</div><div><p>Managed care company UnitedHealth Group Inc. reported a 30 percent jump in fourth-quarter profit Thursday, due in part to a big legal charge it took in the last quarter of 2008.</p><p>The Minneto...

UnitedHealth quarterly profit tops Wall Street views

2010-02-22T17:12:35Z

<div><p>NEW YORK (Reuters) - Health insurer UnitedHealth Group Inc &lt;UNH.N&gt; posted better-than-expected quarterly profit on Thursday, helped by moderating flu costs and growth in its businesses serving the elderly and low-income Americans, and its shares rose 3.6 percent.</p&...

Health care stocks stumble with broader market

2010-02-22T17:29:40Z

<div id="subtitle">Health care stocks stumble a day after receiving boost from Massachusetts election</div><div><p>Health care stocks slipped Wednesday on anxiety over the challenges that lie ahead regardless of whether a health care overhaul materializes in Washington.</p><p>The drop followed an earlier surge for several pharmaceutical and managed care co...

Earnings Preview: UnitedHealth to post 4Q results

2010-02-22T17:33:25Z

<div id="subtitle">UnitedHealth kicks off 4th-quarter reporting season for large managed care companies Thursday</div><div><p>Managed care company UnitedHealth Group Inc., the largest commercial health insurer as measured by revenue, reports fourth-quarter results Thursday. Here are key developments related to that period.</p><p>OVERVIE...

Sector Snap: Health insurers surge after key vote

2010-02-23T12:58:19Z

<div id="subtitle">Health insurers jump after key Senate vote on health care reform; passage expected this week</div><div><p>Shares of health insurance providers leaped Monday after a key Senate vote on the country's health care overhaul put legislation on track for passage before Christmas.</p><p>Shortly after 1 a.m. on Monday, 60 senators voted to shut down a threatened Republican filibuster on a health care re...

Insurer UnitedHealth affirms 2010 profit guidance

2010-02-23T22:22:27Z

<div id="subtitle">Insurer UnitedHealth affirms 2010 profit guidance, expects commercial enrollment drop</div><div><p>Managed care company UnitedHealth Group Inc. affirmed its 2010 guidance Tuesday at its annual investor conference in New York but said it expects commercial health insurance enrollment to continue to ...

Health insurers weather storms heading into 2010

2010-02-24T09:20:42Z

<div id="subtitle">Health insurers weather flu, enrollment, reform storms heading into 4th quarter, 2010</div><div><p>Rising unemployment, swine flu and the threat of health care reform all ganged up on managed care companies in the third quarter and could hurt their performance heading into 2010. But most of the large publicly traded health insurers reported better-than-expected profit growth for the latest period, and analysts still see s...

NY AG: Consumers can soon access health cost info

2010-02-24T13:47:43Z

<div id="subtitle">NY Attorney general: $100M settlement from health insurers will fund independent cost database</div><div><p>Consumers across the country soon will be able to find impartial information about out-of-network health care costs on a new Web site, New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo said Tuesday.</p><p>The information will be collected by a ...

Cuomo sets healthcare reimbursement reform

2010-02-24T13:47:37Z

<div><p>NEW YORK (Reuters) - New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo announced on Tuesday the creation of a nationwide database to help set health care reimbursement rates, benefiting patients who use doctors outside their insurers' networks and capping an industrywide probe.</p><p>A new nonprofit, UnitedHealth</div><div><p>WellPoint Inc., the nation's largest insurer as measured by enrollment, reports its third-quarter results Wednesday before the market opens. The following is a summary of key developments and...

Treasurys bounce higher on housing concerns

2010-02-24T16:39:18Z

<div><p>Investors headed back into the safety of the Treasury market Tuesday, sending prices higher and yields lower, following downbeat news on housing and tame inflation data.</p><p>In late-day trading, the benchmark 10-year Treasury rose 15/32 to 102 11/32, pushing its yield down to 3.34 percent from 3.39 percent late Monday.</p><p>A disappointing report on the housing sector had investors worried that an econ...

UnitedHealth 3Q profit rises, enrollment falls

2010-02-24T16:52:01Z

<div id="subtitle">UnitedHealth 3rd-qtr profit, revenue surpass estimates but commercial enrollment falls</div><div><p>Managed care company UnitedHealth Group Inc. saw its third-quarter profit jump 13 percent, as growth in several businesses helped balance another enrollment decline and fight off a touch of swine flu.</p><p>The

HMO stocks drop after reform bill budget analysis

2010-02-24T21:22:38Z

<div><p>NEW YORK (Reuters) - Shares of health insurers slumped on Thursday as analysts said a report issued on a key U.S. Senate healthcare reform bill should give the legislation a boost.</p><p>Nonpartisan budget analysts said late on Wednesday that a President Barack Obama made clear he is sticking to his goal of health care reform in a televised speech to a joint session of Congress Wednesday night.</p><p>The final impact on the health care industry is still far from certain as legislators continue the debate. Analysts caution that the stocks will remai...

Group: Insurers urged workers to fight reform

2010-02-25T12:33:18Z

<div id="subtitle">Consumer group says 2 health insurers illegally told workers to lobby against health reform</div><div><p>A consumer group says health insurers UnitedHealth and WellPoint pressured their employees to contact members of Congress and lobby against health care reform proposals that the companies disagreed with.</p><p>In a...

Senator seeks data on health insurer profits

2010-02-25T17:29:14Z

<div><p>WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A U.S. Senate Democrat asked the top 15 health insurers to explain what portion of premiums go to profits versus patient care, putting further pressure on the companies to explain their business practices as Congress considers sweeping health reform legislation.</p><p>In letters to the compan...

Judge OKs another UnitedHealth options settlement

2010-02-25T17:31:40Z

<div id="subtitle">Federal judge OKs another settlement resolving a lawsuit over UnitedHealth options backdating</div><div><p>A federal judge has approved a $17-million settlement resolving the last of the lawsuits against managed care company UnitedHealth Group Inc. over its stock option backdating practices.</p><p>The case involved re...