Groundbreaking Sunlight Report From Center for Health and Democracy Featured On Last Week Tonight With John Oliver

A groundbreaking report, released last year, from the Center for Health and Democracy that revealed – for the first time – the hidden structures, aggressive expansion, and dominance of the U.S. health care system that has become the hallmark of UnitedHealth Group over the last decade was highlighted last night on Last Week Tonight with John Oliver.

You can see the full report here.

You can see the John Oliver segment here.

The report, which was funded by Arnold Ventures, details how UnitedHealth Group has grown from a modest health insurance company to the largest health care conglomerate in the world, operating in nearly every country with over 2,600 distinct legal entities and 400,000 employees.

Key findings from the report:

• UnitedHealth Group's acquisitions increased its entities from 219 in 2013 to 2,694 in 2023 and reported $400.3 billion in revenue for 2024.
• Clinical subsidiaries, like physician groups and home care organizations, dominate the organization, indicating a shifted focus to clinical and health care service-related entities and technology assets.
• As of Q4 2024, UnitedHealth Group employs or contracts with over 90,000 doctors, covering 10% of the U.S. physician workforce, and holds 15% of the U.S. health insurance market.
• Nearly 30% of total company revenue is generated by internal business entities, allowing profit shifting between its insurance arm and its health care delivery arm.
• Many UnitedHealth Group entities lack assets or operations, serving mainly as holding companies or for M&A purposes.
• UnitedHealth Group has extensive international operations, largely hidden from regulators, consumers, and shareholders.

The report’s findings, drawn from UnitedHealth Group’s filings with regulatory agencies over several years. It was the subject of Congressional hearings last year and helped shape the Break Up Big Medicine Act and the Patients Over Profits Act.

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