Total Operating Expenses
UnitedHealth Group Total Operating Expenses decreased by 9.0% to $102.73B in Q1 2026 compared to the prior quarter. Year-over-year, this metric grew by 2.3%, from $100.46B to $102.73B. Over 4 years (FY 2021 to FY 2025), Total Operating Expenses shows an upward trend with a 12.9% CAGR. This increase may warrant attention — for this metric, lower values are generally preferred.
Analysis
How to read this metric
An increase faster than revenue growth suggests declining operating margins, while slower growth indicates effective cost control.
Detailed definition
Total operating expenses represent the sum of all costs incurred to operate the business, excluding the cost of goods so...
Peer comparison
Used to calculate operating margin; peers in the healthcare sector monitor this closely to manage profitability against R&D requirements.
total_operating_expensesHistorical Data
| Q2 '21 | Q3 '21 | Q4 '21 | Q1 '22 | Q2 '22 | Q3 '22 | Q4 '22 | Q1 '23 | Q2 '23 | Q3 '23 | Q4 '23 | Q1 '24 | Q2 '24 | Q3 '24 | Q4 '24 | Q1 '25 | Q2 '25 | Q3 '25 | Q4 '25 | Q1 '26 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Value | $65.34B | $66.63B | $68.20B | $73.20B | $73.20B | $73.43B | $75.90B | $83.85B | $84.85B | $83.84B | $86.74B | $91.87B | $90.98B | $92.11B | $93.03B | $100.46B | $106.47B | $108.85B | $112.84B | $102.73B |
| QoQ Change | — | +2.0% | +2.4% | +7.3% | +0.0% | +0.3% | +3.4% | +10.5% | +1.2% | -1.2% | +3.5% | +5.9% | -1.0% | +1.2% | +1.0% | +8.0% | +6.0% | +2.2% | +3.7% | -9.0% |
| YoY Change | — | — | — | — | +12.0% | +10.2% | +11.3% | +14.5% | +15.9% | +14.2% | +14.3% | +9.6% | +7.2% | +9.9% | +7.3% | +9.4% | +17.0% | +18.2% | +21.3% | +2.3% |
Business Segments
| Segment | Q1 '25 | Q2 '25 | Q3 '25 | Q4 '25 | Q1 '26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UnitedHealthcare | $79.39B | $84.03B | $85.27B | $86.79B | $80.57B |
| Optum Rx | $33.81B | $37.02B | $38.13B | $38.57B | $34.54B |
| Optum Health | $23.43B | $24.57B | $25.65B | $28.33B | $22.97B |
| Optum Insight | $3.86B | $3.83B | $4.21B | $5.09B | $4.16B |
| Total | $100.46B | $106.47B | $108.85B | $112.84B | $102.73B |
Total Operating Expenses at Other Companies
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is UnitedHealth Group's total operating expenses?
- UnitedHealth Group (UNH) reported total operating expenses of $102.73B in Q1 2026.
- How has UnitedHealth Group's total operating expenses changed year-over-year?
- UnitedHealth Group's total operating expenses increased by 2.3% year-over-year, from $100.46B to $102.73B.
- What is the long-term trend for UnitedHealth Group's total operating expenses?
- Over 4 years (2021 to 2025), UnitedHealth Group's total operating expenses has grown at a 12.9% compound annual growth rate (CAGR), from $263.63B to $428.60B.
- What does total operating expenses mean?
- The total cost of running the business, including all non-production expenses.