UnitedHealth cuts profit outlook by $3 billion as more Medicare patients get care

UnitedHealth Group on Thursday lowered its profit outlook for the rest of this year after the health care conglomerate said its Medicare Advantage members continued to seek more medical care than it anticipated. 

The higher use of care among these Medicare enrollees “was most notable within physician and outpatient services,” UnitedHealth said in its first-quarter earnings release. That is similar to what the company has been saying since June 2023.

Optum Health, UnitedHealth’s division that controls physician groups, surgery centers, and other types of care delivery, also struggled with revenue and higher-cost patients, the company said.

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