UnitedHealth Group on Friday published results from a wide-ranging independent audit of its operations, promising a series of reforms to improve accountability and transparency.
The company has adopted 23 ongoing action plans to track and implement recommended improvements, with 65% expected complete by the end of 2025 and all finished by March 2026.
Driving the news: UnitedHealth faces public backlash and mounting criticism about insurer practices that allegedly restrict patient access and inflate healthcare costs.
- The audit was initiated following the abrupt departure of former CEO Andrew Witty and amid Department of Justice investigations into Medicare billing practices.
The big picture: New CEO Steve Hemsley positioned the assessments as a move to set a “new standard of transparency” for the healthcare marketplace.
- UnitedHealth said further results, including reviews of medical diagnosis codes and medical policy development, would be released in early and mid-2026.
- FTI Consulting reviewed UnitedHealthcare’s risk assessment in its Medicare Advantage programs and found its policies to be strong, although some recommendations for speeding up authorizations and improving documentation were offered.
- The Analysis Group evaluated Optum Rx’s pharmacy benefit management practices, reporting “no deficiencies,” but suggested enhancements in escalation processes for resolving payment disputes with drug manufacturers.
