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Business Segments · Earnings from operations

Optum Rx — Earnings from operations

UnitedHealth Group Optum Rx — Earnings from operations decreased by 58.7% to $1.19B in Q1 2026 compared to the prior quarter. Year-over-year, this metric declined by 9.6%, from $1.32B to $1.19B. Over 4 years (FY 2021 to FY 2025), Optum Rx — Earnings from operations shows an upward trend with a 14.8% CAGR. This decline may warrant attention — for this metric, higher values are generally preferred.

Analysis

StatementSegment
CategoryProfitability
SignalHigher is better
VolatilityModerate
First reportedQ1 2016
Last reportedQ1 2026May 5, 2026
Rolls up toOperating Income

How to read this metric

Increasing earnings indicate strong operational performance and effective cost control, while decreasing earnings signal margin pressure or rising service costs.

Detailed definition

The profit generated by the pharmacy benefit management segment after deducting operating expenses from total revenues....

Peer comparison

Equivalent to segment operating income used by analysts to compare profitability across healthcare service segments.

Metric ID: unh_segment_optum_rx_earnings_from_operations

Historical Data

20 periods
 Q2 '21Q3 '21Q4 '21Q1 '22Q2 '22Q3 '22Q4 '22Q1 '23Q2 '23Q3 '23Q4 '23Q1 '24Q2 '24Q3 '24Q4 '24Q1 '25Q2 '25Q3 '25Q4 '25Q1 '26
Value$993M$1.01B$1.24B$939M$1.04B$1.08B$1.37B$1.06B$1.21B$1.26B$1.59B$1.15B$1.41B$1.54B$1.74B$1.32B$1.44B$1.55B$2.89B$1.19B
QoQ Change+1.9%+22.5%-24.3%+11.2%+3.5%+26.9%-22.7%+13.8%+4.2%+26.7%-28.0%+22.6%+9.8%+12.6%-24.2%+9.3%+7.5%+86.2%-58.7%
YoY Change+5.1%+6.8%+10.6%+12.9%+15.5%+16.3%+16.0%+8.2%+16.6%+22.8%+9.2%+14.9%+2.5%+0.3%+65.9%-9.6%
Range$939M$2.89B
CAGR+3.9%
Avg YoY Growth+13.4%
Median YoY Growth+11.8%

Frequently Asked Questions

What is UnitedHealth Group's optum rx — earnings from operations?
UnitedHealth Group (UNH) reported optum rx — earnings from operations of $1.19B in Q1 2026.
How has UnitedHealth Group's optum rx — earnings from operations changed year-over-year?
UnitedHealth Group's optum rx — earnings from operations decreased by 9.6% year-over-year, from $1.32B to $1.19B.
What is the long-term trend for UnitedHealth Group's optum rx — earnings from operations?
Over 4 years (2021 to 2025), UnitedHealth Group's optum rx — earnings from operations has grown at a 14.8% compound annual growth rate (CAGR), from $4.14B to $7.19B.
What does optum rx — earnings from operations mean?
Operating profit generated specifically by the pharmacy benefit management segment.