Business Segments · Total operating costs
Optum — Total operating costs
UnitedHealth Group Optum — Total operating costs decreased by 14.0% to $60.45B in Q1 2026 compared to the prior quarter. Year-over-year, this metric grew by 0.8%, from $59.99B to $60.45B. Over 3 years (FY 2022 to FY 2025), Optum — Total operating costs shows an upward trend with a 15.7% CAGR. This is a positive signal — lower values indicate better performance for this metric.
Analysis
StatementSegment
CategoryEfficiency
SignalLower is better
VolatilityStable
First reportedQ1 2022
Last reportedQ1 2026May 5, 2026
Rolls up toTotal Operating Expenses
How to read this metric
A decrease relative to revenue indicates improved operational efficiency, while an increase may signal rising service delivery costs.
Detailed definition
The total expenses incurred by the Optum segment to deliver its healthcare services, including medical costs, pharmacy c...
Peer comparison
Comparable to total operating expenses for large healthcare service and pharmacy benefit management companies.
Metric ID:
unh_segment_optum_total_operating_costsHistorical Data
17 periods
| 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 | $42.18B | $42.18B | $42.18B | $42.18B | $52.67B | $52.67B | $52.67B | $52.67B | $57.52B | $59.01B | $59.43B | $60.3B | $59.99B | $64.15B | $66.67B | $70.27B | $60.45B |
| QoQ Change | — | +0.0% | +0.0% | +0.0% | +24.9% | +0.0% | +0.0% | +0.0% | +9.2% | +2.6% | +0.7% | +1.5% | -0.5% | +6.9% | +3.9% | +5.4% | -14.0% |
| YoY Change | — | — | — | — | +24.9% | +24.9% | +24.9% | +24.9% | +9.2% | +12.0% | +12.8% | +14.5% | +4.3% | +8.7% | +12.2% | +16.5% | +0.8% |
Range$42.18B – $70.27B
CAGR+9.4%
Avg YoY Growth+14.7%
Median YoY Growth+12.8%
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Frequently Asked Questions
- What is UnitedHealth Group's optum — total operating costs?
- UnitedHealth Group (UNH) reported optum — total operating costs of $60.45B in Q1 2026.
- How has UnitedHealth Group's optum — total operating costs changed year-over-year?
- UnitedHealth Group's optum — total operating costs increased by 0.8% year-over-year, from $59.99B to $60.45B.
- What is the long-term trend for UnitedHealth Group's optum — total operating costs?
- Over 3 years (2022 to 2025), UnitedHealth Group's optum — total operating costs has grown at a 15.7% compound annual growth rate (CAGR), from $168.71B to $261.08B.
- What does optum — total operating costs mean?
- The total costs required to operate the Optum business segment.