Here are 10 updates on UnitedHealth Group and its subsidiaries that Becker’s has reported on since March 3:
1. A New York federal judge dismissed an antitrust lawsuit against UnitedHealthcare and MultiPlan that alleged the companies conspired to reduce reimbursement rates for an anesthesia services provider.
2. UnitedHealthcare is suing Broadcom, alleging that the tech giant is looking to impose “exorbitant price increases” on software used by the insurer.
3. The U.S. Federal Trade Commission’s lawsuit against major pharmacy benefit managers, including UnitedHealth Group’s Optum, CVS Health’s Caremark and Cigna’s Express Scripts, over insulin pricing practices is set to move forward after a pause. FTC chair Andrew Ferguson said that he would no longer recuse himself from the case, clearing the way for the lawsuit to resume.
4. A group of UnitedHealth Group shareholders withdrew a proposal submitted for the 2025 proxy that requested the company’s management analyze how its business practices affect access to care and public health.
5. The Justice Department is urging a federal court to allow a decade-old lawsuit against UnitedHealth Group to continue. Justice Department attorneys argued that a court-appointed special master was incorrect in her recommendation to throw out the lawsuit, alleging UnitedHealth overcharged the federal government through Medicare Advantage claims.
6. U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi is directing federal prosecutors to pursue the death penalty for Luigi Mangione, the 26-year-old man accused of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in late 2024.
7. The California Public Employees’ Retirement System is accusing UnitedHealth Group of securities fraud related to its Medicare Advantage billing practices. The class action, first filed in May 2024 and amended in March, alleges that UnitedHealth misled investors about its operations, including MA upcoding practices that inflated the company’s revenue.
8. Optum Rx, the pharmacy benefit manager under UnitedHealth Group, is removing prior authorization requirements for approximately 80 prescription drugs, aiming to streamline access for patients with chronic conditions.
9. CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield is suing Change Healthcare over the cyberattack that occurred in February 2024.
10. UnitedHealthcare plans to cut prior authorization requirements by around 10% in 2025.
