Cost of Revenue
Medical costs
UnitedHealth Group Medical costs decreased by 10.4% to $73.49B in Q1 2026 compared to the prior quarter. Year-over-year, this metric grew by 0.1%, from $73.41B to $73.49B. Over 4 years (FY 2021 to FY 2025), Medical costs shows an upward trend with a 13.8% CAGR. This increase may warrant attention — for this metric, lower values are generally preferred.
Analysis
StatementIncome Statement
SectionCost of Revenue
CategoryEfficiency
SignalLower is better
VolatilityModerate
First reportedQ1 2013
Last reportedQ1 2026May 5, 2026
How to read this metric
Lower costs relative to premiums indicate higher underwriting efficiency and better medical cost management.
Detailed definition
This represents the total expenses incurred for medical services, claims, and healthcare delivery provided to policyhold...
Peer comparison
Standard for health insurers; peers often report this as the medical loss ratio component.
Metric ID:
unh_medical_costsHistorical Data
20 periods
| 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 | $46.55B | $47.30B | $48.16B | $52.52B | $52.09B | $52.64B | $53.59B | $59.85B | $60.27B | $59.55B | $62.23B | $65.74B | $65.46B | $65.96B | $67.04B | $73.41B | $78.59B | $79.96B | $82.04B | $73.49B |
| QoQ Change | — | +1.6% | +1.8% | +9.1% | -0.8% | +1.0% | +1.8% | +11.7% | +0.7% | -1.2% | +4.5% | +5.6% | -0.4% | +0.8% | +1.6% | +9.5% | +7.0% | +1.7% | +2.6% | -10.4% |
| YoY Change | — | — | — | — | +11.9% | +11.3% | +11.3% | +13.9% | +15.7% | +13.1% | +16.1% | +9.8% | +8.6% | +10.8% | +7.7% | +11.7% | +20.1% | +21.2% | +22.4% | +0.1% |
Range$46.55B – $82.04B
CAGR+10.1%
Avg YoY Growth+12.9%
Median YoY Growth+11.8%
Medical costs at Other Companies
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is UnitedHealth Group's medical costs?
- UnitedHealth Group (UNH) reported medical costs of $73.49B in Q1 2026.
- How has UnitedHealth Group's medical costs changed year-over-year?
- UnitedHealth Group's medical costs increased by 0.1% year-over-year, from $73.41B to $73.49B.
- What is the long-term trend for UnitedHealth Group's medical costs?
- Over 4 years (2021 to 2025), UnitedHealth Group's medical costs has grown at a 13.8% compound annual growth rate (CAGR), from $186.91B to $314.00B.
- What does medical costs mean?
- The total cost of healthcare services provided to insured members.