UnitedHealth Group Reports 2023 Results

• Revenues of $371.6 Billion Grew 15% Year-Over-Year
• Earnings from Operations Grew 14%
• Cash Flows from Operations were $29.1 Billion or 1.3x Net Income
• Full Year and Fourth Quarter Net Earnings were $23.86 and $5.83 Per Share
• Full Year and Fourth Quarter Adjusted Net Earnings were $25.12 and $6.16 Per Share

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH) reported full year and fourth quarter 2023 results reflecting broad-based growth at Optum and UnitedHealthcare.

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UnitedHealth Group corporate headquarters (Photo: Business Wire)

“UnitedHealth Group enters 2024 well prepared to build on our efforts to improve patient care and consumer experiences broadly, and to continue delivering strong and balanced growth,” said Andrew Witty, chief executive officer of UnitedHealth Group.

UnitedHealth Group affirmed the 2024 performance objectives established at its November 29^th Investor Conference, excluding the potential impacts from the pending sale of its Brazil operations, which is expected to close in the first half of 2024. Upon closing, the Company’s net earnings outlook will be impacted by the previously announced expected charge and the Company confirmed the adjusted earnings outlook presented at its Investor Conference.

• UnitedHealth Group’s 2023 revenues grew $47.5 billion or 14.6% year-over-year to $371.6 billion, including double-digit growth at both Optum and UnitedHealthcare, driven by serving more people, more comprehensively across its offerings. Full year 2023 earnings from operations were $32.4 billion, an increase of 13.8%.
• The full year medical care ratio at 83.2% compared to 82% last year, driven by previously noted outpatient care, primarily serving seniors, and business mix. The fourth quarter medical care ratio was 85%. Days claims payable of 47.9 compared to 49.9 at year end 2022 and 50.7 in the third quarter 2023. Medical reserve development was $840 million favorable for full year 2023 and $100 million unfavorable in the fourth quarter.
• The full year 2023 operating cost ratio of 14.7% was consistent with last year, reflecting strong operating cost management, offset by continued growth of the services businesses and investments to support growth.
• Cash flows from operations for the full year were $29.1 billion or 1.3-times net income. During 2023, the company returned $14.8 billion to shareholders through dividends and share repurchases. Return on equity of 27% in 2023 reflected the company’s strong overall growth and efficient capital structure.

UnitedHealthcare provides health care benefits globally, serving individuals and employers, and Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries. UnitedHealthcare is dedicated to improving the value customers and consumers receive by improving health and wellness, enhancing the quality of care received, simplifying the health care experience and reducing the total cost of care.

• UnitedHealthcare full year revenues of $281.4 billion grew $31.6 billion or 12.7% year-over-year and operating earnings increased 14.2% to $16.4 billion. People served by UnitedHealthcare grew by over 1 million in 2023.
• The number of consumers served with commercial benefits grew by over 800,000 in 2023, reflecting the strong customer response to the company’s innovative and affordable benefit offerings.
• The number of people served by the company’s offerings for seniors and people with complex needs grew by 950,000 due to product designs tailored to meet the specific needs of individuals and their families with limited economic resources and who are often underserved.
• People served by the company’s state-based community offerings declined by 700,000 due to the ongoing Medicaid eligibility redetermination process. The UnitedHealthcare team remains actively engaged with the individuals impacted and continues with its comprehensive outreach to help families maintain, reinstate or find other affordable coverage.
  
  

Optum’s health services businesses serve the global health care marketplace, including payers, care providers, employers, governments, life sciences companies and consumers. Using market-leading information, analytics and technology to yield clinical insights, Optum helps improve overall health system performance by optimizing care quality, reducing care costs and improving the consumer experience.

• Optum full year revenues of $226.6 billion grew $43.9 billion or 24% year-over-year and operating earnings increased 13.4% to $15.9 billion.
• Optum Health revenue increased 33.9% over last year, driven by growth in patients served under value-based arrangements and continued expansion of the types and levels of care provided. The operating results reflect previously noted higher care activity and continued investments to improve patient health outcomes. The number of patients served under value-based arrangements grew by nearly 900,000 to more than 4.1 million.
• Optum Insight revenue increased 29.8% due to the addition of Change Healthcare and growth in its technology-enabled offerings, which serve health systems, care providers, health plans and life sciences organizations. Optum Insight continues to build and invest in advanced data capabilities to meet the rising needs of customers. The revenue backlog increased by more than $2 billion to over $32 billion.
• Optum Rx revenue increased 16.4% in 2023 due to growth in serving new clients, expanded relationships with existing clients and continued advancement in the comprehensive scope of pharmacy services offered, including specialty and community-based pharmacies. Adjusted scripts grew to 1.54 billion compared to 1.44 billion last year.

About UnitedHealth Group

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH) is a health care and well-being company with a mission to help people live healthier lives and help make the health system work better for everyone through two distinct and complementary businesses. Optum delivers care aided by technology and data, empowering people, partners and providers with the guidance and tools they need to achieve better health. UnitedHealthcare offers a full range of health benefits, enabling affordable coverage, simplifying the health care experience and delivering access to high-quality care. Visit UnitedHealth Group at www.unitedhealthgroup.com and follow UnitedHealth Group on LinkedIn.

Earnings Conference Call

As previously announced, UnitedHealth Group will discuss the Company’s results, strategy and future outlook on a conference call with investors at 8:45 a.m. Eastern Time today. UnitedHealth Group will host a live webcast of this conference call from the Investor Relations page of the company’s website (www.unitedhealthgroup.com). Following the call, a webcast replay will be on the Investor Relations page and at https://uhg.com/Replay through January 26, 2024. This earnings release and the Form 8-K dated January 12, 2024, can also be accessed from the Investor Relations page of the company’s website.

Non-GAAP Financial Information

This news release presents non-GAAP financial information provided as a complement to the results provided in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”). A reconciliation of the non-GAAP financial information to the most directly comparable GAAP financial measure is provided in the accompanying tables found at the end of this release.

Forward-Looking Statements

The statements, estimates, projections, guidance or outlook contained in this document include “forward-looking” statements which are intended to take advantage of the “safe harbor” provisions of the federal securities law. The words “believe,” “expect,” “intend,” “estimate,” “anticipate,” “forecast,” “outlook,” “plan,” “project,” “should” and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements. These statements may contain information about financial prospects, economic conditions and trends and involve risks and uncertainties. Actual results could differ materially from those that management expects, depending on the outcome of certain factors including: our ability to effectively estimate, price for and manage medical costs; new or changes in existing health care laws or regulations, or their enforcement or application; reductions in revenue or delays to cash flows received under government programs; changes in Medicare, the CMS star ratings program or the application of risk adjustment data validation audits; the DOJ’s legal action relating to the risk adjustment submission matter; our ability to maintain and achieve improvement in quality scores impacting revenue; failure to maintain effective and efficient information systems or if our technology products do not operate as intended; cyberattacks, other privacy/data security incidents, or our failure to comply with related regulations; risks and uncertainties associated with our businesses providing pharmacy care services; competitive pressures, including our ability to maintain or increase our market share; changes in or challenges to our public sector contract awards; failure to achieve targeted operating cost productivity improvements; failure to develop and maintain satisfactory relationships with health care payers, physicians, hospitals and other service providers; the impact of potential changes in tax laws and regulations; increases in costs and other liabilities associated with litigation, government investigations, audits or reviews; failure to complete, manage or integrate strategic transactions; risk and uncertainties associated with the pending sale of operations in Brazil; risks associated with public health crises arising from large-scale medical emergencies, pandemics, natural disasters and other extreme events; failure to attract, develop, retain, and manage the succession of key employees and executives; our investment portfolio performance; impairment of our goodwill and intangible assets; failure to protect proprietary rights to our databases, software and related products; downgrades in our credit ratings; and our ability to obtain sufficient funds from our regulated subsidiaries or from external financings to fund our obligations, maintain our debt to total capital ratio at targeted levels, maintain our quarterly dividend payment cycle, or continue repurchasing shares of our common stock.

This above list is not exhaustive. We discuss these matters, and certain risks that may affect our business operations, financial condition and results of operations, more fully in our filings with the SEC, including our reports on Forms 10-K, 10-Q and 8-K. By their nature, forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance or results and are subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions that are difficult to predict or quantify. Actual results may vary materially from expectations expressed or implied in this document or any of our prior communications. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date they are made. We do not undertake to update or revise any forward-looking statements, except as required by law.

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