Medical costs
Cost of RevenueUnitedHealth Group Medical costs increased by 1.7% to $79.96B in Q3 2025 compared to the prior quarter. Year-over-year, this metric grew by 21.2%, from $65.96B to $79.96B. Over 3 years (FY 2021 to FY 2024), Medical costs shows an upward trend with a 12.2% CAGR. This is a positive signal — lower values indicate better performance for this metric.
Analysis
StatementIncome Statement
SectionCost of Revenue
CategoryEfficiency
SignalLower is better
VolatilityModerate
First reportedQ1 2013
Last reportedQ3 2025
How to read this metric
An increase relative to premiums suggests rising healthcare utilization or medical inflation, which can compress profit margins.
Detailed definition
Reflects the direct expenses incurred for medical claims, healthcare services, and pharmacy benefits provided to insuran...
Peer comparison
Standard for health insurers; directly comparable to medical loss ratios at peer companies.
Metric ID:
is_unh_medical_costsHistorical Data
18 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| 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% |
| 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% |
Range$46.55B – $79.96B
CAGR+13.6%
Avg YoY Growth+13.1%
Median YoY Growth+11.8%
Current Streak5 quarters growth
Medical costs at Other Companies
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is UnitedHealth Group's medical costs?
- UnitedHealth Group (UNH) reported medical costs of $79.96B in Q3 2025.
- How has UnitedHealth Group's medical costs changed year-over-year?
- UnitedHealth Group's medical costs increased by 21.2% year-over-year, from $65.96B to $79.96B.
- What is the long-term trend for UnitedHealth Group's medical costs?
- Over 3 years (2021 to 2024), UnitedHealth Group's medical costs has grown at a 12.2% compound annual growth rate (CAGR), from $186.91B to $264.19B.
- What does medical costs mean?
- The total costs paid out for member healthcare claims and services.