Healthcare DIVE November 4, 2025
Researchers said the results suggest UnitedHealth may be sidestepping government rules meant to keep a lid on exorbitant payer profits. UnitedHealth said the study was “flat-out wrong.”
Dive Brief:
- UnitedHealthcare pays providers in its sister company Optum 17% more than it pays non-Optum providers, according to a new study that provides fresh ammunition to critics of vertical integration and of UnitedHealth, the healthcare behemoth that owns both businesses.
- That percentage spikes to 61% in markets where UnitedHealthcare has at least 25% control, the study published in Health Affairs on Monday found.
- The results suggest that UnitedHealth is sidestepping rules meant to keep payers from unfairly profiting off of providing insurance, researchers said. UnitedHealth strongly refuted the findings and said...
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