UnitedHealth Group is currently dealing with a shareholder lawsuit following the December 2024 shooting of its CEO, Brian Thompson. The lawsuit alleges that the company did not adequately disclose the impact of the public backlash to his death on their business strategies. Shareholders claim that UnitedHealth shifted away from methods resulting in higher-than-average claims denials, which they believe has directly affected profitability, according to Reuters.
In the aftermath of this incident, UnitedHealth significantly increased its expenditure on executive security, reaching nearly $1.7 million in 2024. This includes over $207,000 allocated for the personal security of certain executives' families. Additionally, the company's financial outlook for 2025 suffered a setback after reporting an unexpected rise in care usage among Medicare Advantage enrollees in the first quarter. This development led to a sharp 22% decline in UnitedHealth’s stock value, the steepest drop in more than two decades as reported by AP News.
Beyond financial concerns, UnitedHealth is subject to a federal investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice concerning its Medicare billing practices. The scrutiny centers on how the company documents diagnoses that result in additional payments under Medicare Advantage plans. Furthermore, shareholders are pushing for UnitedHealth to conduct a detailed analysis of how practices that limit or delay healthcare access impact patient outcomes and overall public health.