UnitedHealth Group Reports First Quarter 2022 Results

• Revenues of $80.1 Billion Grew $10 Billion or 14% Year-Over-Year, with Double-Digit Growth at both Optum and UnitedHealthcare

• Earnings from Operations were $7 Billion

• Cash Flows from Operations were $5.3 Billion

• Earnings were $5.27 Per Share, Adjusted Earnings $5.49 Per Share

Strong and well-balanced growth continued across UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH) in the first quarter of 2022.

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UnitedHealth Group Corporate Headquarters (Photo: Business Wire)

“Disciplined execution of our long-term strategy, with a sharp focus on ensuring access to care for the people we serve, enabled us to deliver high-quality, diversified growth across Optum and UnitedHealthcare during this first quarter of 2022,” said Andrew Witty, chief executive officer of UnitedHealth Group.

Based upon the first quarter performance and enterprise-wide growth outlook, the Company increased its full year net earnings outlook to $20.30 to $20.80 per share and adjusted net earnings to $21.20 to $21.70 per share.

• UnitedHealth Group’s first quarter 2022 revenues grew $10 billion or 14.2% to $80.1 billion year-over-year, including diversified, double-digit growth at both Optum and UnitedHealthcare.

• First quarter 2022 earnings from operations were $7 billion and adjusted net earnings were $5.49 per share. Year-over-year earnings growth was led by Optum Health, due to its positive impact for patients and the accelerating expansion of its value-based care delivery initiatives.

• The first quarter 2022 medical care ratio was 82% compared to 80.9% last year, due to COVID effects and business mix. Favorable medical reserve development of $290 million compared to $1 billion in the year ago first quarter. Days claims payable were 49.1, compared to 46.8 in the fourth quarter 2021 and 49.8 in the first quarter 2021.

• The first quarter 2022 operating cost ratio of 14.2% decreased from 14.6% in 2021 due to COVID effects and continued productivity advances, partially offset by business mix and the investments the Company continues to make to accelerate and support future growth opportunities.

• Cash flows from operations for the first quarter 2022 were $5.3 billion or 1-times net income. The Company returned $3.9 billion to shareholders in the first quarter through dividends and share repurchases. Return on equity of 27.8% in the quarter reflected the Company’s consistent and diverse earnings profile 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 first quarter revenues of $62.6 billion grew $7.5 billion or 13.6% year-over-year reflecting broad-based growth.

• In the first quarter of 2022, UnitedHealthcare grew to serve 1.5 million more people than a year ago, led by continued strong growth in Medicare Advantage and Dual Special Needs Plans and in the broader Medicaid market. UnitedHealthcare’s expanding portfolio of innovative, new offerings for people served by commercial benefits, including physician-led, consumer-tailored and virtual-first products, grew by 350,000 people over the past year.

• First quarter 2022 operating earnings were $3.8 billion compared to $4.1 billion last year, reflecting strong growth in people served and revenue, and continued effective medical and operating cost management. The year ago result reflects the effects of pandemic-disrupted care patterns.

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, technology and clinical insights, Optum helps improve overall health system performance: optimizing care quality, reducing care costs and improving the consumer experience.

• Optum first quarter revenues grew 18.9% to $43.3 billion and operating earnings grew 19.8% to $3.2 billion.

• Optum Health revenue per consumer served increased 33% over the year ago quarter, driven by growth of people served under value-based care arrangements. Optum Health now expects to serve 600,000 new patients under such arrangements in 2022 compared to its initial outlook of 500,000. The results reflect the continued expansion of care services offered, with at-home and digital offerings complementing and integrating with growing clinic-based and outpatient services, including ambulatory surgical care.

• Optum Insight’s revenue backlog increased by $2 billion to $22.8 billion compared to a year ago, driven by strong growth and execution in its expanding comprehensive managed services offerings for health systems. The breadth of services offered by Optum Insight continues to advance in areas such as payment integrity, digital modernization and care coordination.

• Optum Rx’s robust revenue growth of 11% in the first quarter reflects continued advancements in serving new, large health plan clients and further expansion of community-behavioral, specialty pharmacy and e-commerce services. Adjusted scripts grew to 352 million compared to 329 million 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 @UnitedHealthGrp on Twitter.

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 available on the same site through April 28, 2022. The conference call replay can also be accessed by dialing 1-888-203-1112, Conference Code: 3063505. This earnings release and the Form 8-K dated April 14, 2022, 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: risks associated with public health crises, large-scale medical emergencies and pandemics, such as the COVID-19 pandemic; 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; the DOJ’s legal action relating to the risk adjustment submission matter; our ability to maintain and achieve improvement in quality scores impacting revenue; 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; 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; failure to protect proprietary rights to our databases, software and related products; risks and uncertainties associated with our businesses providing pharmacy care services; competitive pressures, including our ability to develop and deliver innovative products to health care payers and expand access to virtual care; changes in or challenges to our public sector contract awards; failure to develop and maintain satisfactory relationships with health care payers, physicians, hospitals and other service providers; failure to attract, develop, retain, and manage the succession of key employees and executives; the impact of potential changes in tax laws and regulations (including any increase in the U.S. income tax rate applicable to corporations); failure to achieve targeted operating cost productivity improvements; increases in costs and other liabilities associated with litigation, government investigations, audits or reviews; failure to manage successfully our strategic alliances or complete or receive anticipated benefits of strategic transactions; fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates; downgrades in our credit ratings; our investment portfolio performance; impairment of our goodwill and intangible assets; 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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