UnitedHealth Group disclosed it faces a civil and criminal investigation from the Department of Justice.

According to ABC News, the company said in an SEC filing that it’s complying with requests by the Justice Department.

“The Company has now begun complying with formal criminal and civil requests from the Department. The Company has full confidence in its practices and is committed to working cooperatively with the Department throughout this process,” UnitedHealth said, according to ABC News.

The probe reportedly pertains to the company’s Medicare practices.

More from ABC News:

UnitedHealth’s announcement that it faces a federal investigation adds to an increasingly tumultuous year for the country’s largest healthcare company.

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The company was thrown into the spotlight after last year’s fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in New York, sparking a national conversation about frustrations with healthcare companies.

UnitedHealth Group’s CEO abruptly left the company in May, and the company’s stock price plunged following a series of reports in The Wall Street Journal about civil and criminal probes into the company. The WSJ reported in May that the DOJ’s healthcare-fraud unit was investigating possible Medicare fraud at the company, adding to investigations of potential antitrust violations and its Medicare billing practices.

The company was the worst performer on the Dow Jones Industrial Average during the first half of 2025. Its stock price declined by 1.5 percent in morning trading following the announcement.

In a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, UnitedHealth said it has “full confidence” in its practices. It added that a court-appointed monitor found no wrongdoing after a decade-long probe into its Medicare Advantage business.

The Wall Street Journal reported earlier this year that federal officials launched a probe into how the company records diagnoses that result in extra payments for Medicare Advantage plans.

“Those are privately run versions of the government’s Medicare coverage program mostly for people ages 65 and over,” the Associated Press noted.

UnitedHealthcare covers over 8 million people, making it the nation’s largest provider of Medicare Advantage plans.

The Associated Press provided further details:

UnitedHealth Group Inc. said that it reached out to the Justice Department “after reviewing media reports about investigations into certain aspects of the company’s participation in the Medicare program.”

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UnitedHealth runs one of the nation’s largest health insurance and pharmacy benefits management businesses. It also operates a growing Optum business that provides care and technology support.

UnitedHealth raked in more than $400 billion in revenue last year as the third-largest company in the Fortune 500. Last year, its share price topped $630 to reach a new all-time high.

But company shares have mostly shed value since December, when UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was fatally shot in midtown Manhattan on his way to the company’s annual investor meeting. A 26-year-old suspect, Luigi Mangione, has been charged in connection with the shooting.

In April, shares plunged after the company cut its forecast due to a spike in health care use. A month later, former CEO Andrew Witty resigned and the company withdrew its forecast.

The stock price slipped another 2%, or $5.12, to $287.39 Thursday morning. That represents a 54% drop from its all-time high.

UnitedHealth will report its second-quarter results next Tuesday.

 

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