UnitedHealth Faces Scrutiny Over Drug Price Markups and CEO Assassination Fallout

Federal Trade Commission report details massive drug price markups by UnitedHealth and rivals as company defends practices following CEO's murder.

The FTC reported that UnitedHealth and two other major pharmacy benefit managers marked up lifesaving drug prices by up to 7,700%, generating $7.3 billion in revenue from 2017 to 2022.
UnitedHealth CEO Andrew Witty defended the company, blaming high U.S. healthcare costs on drug manufacturers and hospitals, while pledging to pass 100% of drug rebates to consumers by 2028.
The killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in December has intensified public outrage over healthcare access and costs, with the suspect allegedly motivated by grievances against the company.
UnitedHealth reported $400.3 billion in revenue for 2024, an 8% increase, but faced challenges with Medicare Advantage profitability and Medicaid patient care costs.
The FTC is considering legal action against pharmacy benefit managers, though its report did not conclude that their practices were illegal.