UnitedHealth Group Incorporated — Ethics Grade D+

UnitedHealth Group Incorporated receives an overall ethics grade of D+ (32/100) on CancelCo's corporate accountability database. Sector: Healthcare. Market cap: Large Cap.

Category scores

• labor: 40
• privacy: 10
• consumer: 15
• environment: 60
• humanRights: 20

Documented incidents (3)

• Racial Bias in Health Algorithm (high, 2019) — A study found an algorithm used by Optum prioritized white patients for extra care over sicker Black patients because the tool used historic health costs as a proxy for need.
• AI Claim Denial Lawsuit (high, 2023) — UnitedHealth was sued for using an AI tool (nH Predict) to systematically deny elderly patients' Medicare Advantage claims for rehabilitation care, ignoring medical necessity.
• Change Healthcare Cyberattack (high, 2024) — A massive data breach at a subsidiary compromised sensitive medical and financial data for a significant portion of US citizens, causing nationwide pharmacy outages.

Documented good deeds

• Affordable Housing Initiative — Invested $800 million in affordable housing to address social determinants of health in underserved communities.

Ethical alternatives

• Kaiser Permanente — Non-profit model that aligns provider and insurer incentives, leading to fewer claims disputes.