News: UnitedHealth Group profits nearly double that of other leading payers combined

Fourth quarter reports for insurance providers in the U.S. spotlight UnitedHealth Group as the most profitable payer of 2021—at $17.3 billion, more than double the profit of the next closest competitor, and owning almost half of the total profit of six major insurers.

The six insurers’ profits for 2021 are:

• UnitedHealth Group: $17.3 billion
• CVS Health: $7.9 billion
• Anthem: $6.1 billion
• Cigna: $5.4 billion
• Humana: $2.9 billion
• Centene Corporation: $1.3 billion

UnitedHealth Group credits the amount of its profits, up $2 billion from 2021, to adding more than two million members. However, the agency also reported that revenue per patient was up 33% and that it expects steady fiscal growth to continue through 2022.

Editor’s note: More in-depth ACDIS coverage of UnitedHealth Group’s 2021 revenue can be found here.