In the midst of a public opinion storm, UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (UNH.US) is reforming to restore its reputation.

, UnitedHealth Group Incorporated is seen as a force for good within the company; employees often describe their work as a "mission." However, public perception is quite the opposite. The public views the company as a faceless, uncaring "profit machine" that refuses to provide care. The notion exploded on social media after the company's executive Brian Thompson was shot and killed in December of last year. Currently, UnitedHealth Group Incorporated is trying to restore its reputation. In a series of interviews conducted in mid-March, senior leadership of the company stated that they need to communicate better with customers and make it easier for people to use the reimbursement system. Seeking reform: reducing prior authorization barriers, strengthening claims and denials communication Tim Noel, who took over the insurance department after Thompson's death, acknowledged that there are challenges and issues. In his first interview as CEO, he stated, "We are addressing these issues." UnitedHealth Group Incorporated, which operates the largest insurance company in the United States, will report its earnings on Thursday. Investors will closely watch the 2025 medical costs and how they will affect public sentiment. The company's stock price dropped by 22% in the three months following the shooting incident, although it has since recovered from recent lows. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated stated that they are accelerating decisions on medical requests - known as prior authorization - and reducing the number of medical services impacted by these barriers. Due to the fragmented nature of healthcare in the United States, many medical procedures require prior authorization from insurance companies, meaning that doctors must first obtain approval from the insurance company to perform a certain test or treatment. The company is also working to improve communication with customers when requests or claims are denied. Noel described a system that the company will launch in the next year and a half to preview potential situations. For example, a patient seeking a knee replacement could verify their insurance coverage, approve the surgery request, and understand the cost while sitting in the examination room with their doctor. Even Noel's conversation with journalists marks a shift for UnitedHealth Group Incorporated. In the past, public statements from company executives were limited to a few essentially scripted company events, such as the investor conference in December, which was canceled after the shooting incident. Now, the company is trying to change this approach and talk more directly about its role in the healthcare system. When asked about the risks facing the business, CFO John Rex pointed out, "It's about whether we are bringing better health outcomes to people, whether we are creating a more affordable healthcare system. If you can do that, that's something everyone can rally around." Nevertheless, UnitedHealth Group Incorporated still faces a barrage of criticism on social media. In February of this year, billionaire investor Bill Ackman and a doctor from Texas criticized the company, dragging down its stock price. Sabrina Corlette, a research professor at the Georgetown Center on Health Insurance Reform, said that the company also faces a skeptical public, who see insurance costs rising and deductibles increasing. She said, "In the past decade, Americans have seen a significant increase in healthcare costs." Reform faces trust issues A core issue facing UnitedHealth Group Incorporated and its investors is whether the solutions that patients, doctors, and regulators want to see align with the goals of this profit-driven company aiming for 13-16% annual earnings per share growth. The company's leaders maintain their affirmative stance. Rex stated that the company is expanding medical services like home infusions, believing that there is still significant growth potential in the $5 trillion U.S. healthcare industry. He said, "We have single-digit market share in this massive, high-demand industry." Rex mentioned that UnitedHealth Group Incorporated is evolving from an insurance company where customers are typically large employers to a more patient-focused healthcare company. This means improving consumer experience, as satisfaction with the industry's consumer experience is often low. In a survey conducted by the health research organization KFF in 2023, most insured adults reported issues with their insurance, such as denied claims or prior authorization barriers. These issues often hinder their access to care, harm their health, or increase costs. Kaye Pestaina, Vice President of Consumer Protection at KFF, said, "The biggest problem consumers face is that they are often caught between service providers and insurance companies. When they are really sick, time is of the essence, and that's not a moment for kicking the ball around." The company's executives stated that their goal is to improve communication about denials. Sometimes claims are denied because the patient has switched to a different insurance. In such cases, the company can remind customers to be aware of the mix-up and transfer the claim to the correct insurance company for processing. The company has also reduced the number of services that require prior authorization; particularly in the realm of healthcare insurance, since 2016.It dropped by 40%.Facing political scrutiny UnitedHealth Group Incorporated is the largest private health insurance plan sales company in the United States, with nearly 8 million members. As the fastest-growing source of profit for UnitedHealth Group Incorporated, its healthcare services business, Optum Health, also has nearly 5 million similar insurance contracts, mainly for Medicare Advantage. In April of this year, when news that the Trump administration planned to increase payments to Medicare Advantage plans for the next year exceeded Wall Street's expectations, this business received a significant boost, and the company's stock price soared. However, Dr. Mehmet Oz, a celebrity doctor appointed by Trump to lead the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, stated that he plans to carefully review some practices of private insurance companies, which earned over $500 billion in revenue last year and covered more than half of Medicare beneficiaries. In a Senate confirmation hearing in March, Oz said he wants to "hold accountable for areas where we are not effectively managing the resources of the American people." He specifically questioned the value of home visits used by insurance companies like UnitedHealth Group Incorporated to increase payments. In an unexpected friendly exchange with Senator Elizabeth Warren, who often criticizes UnitedHealth Group Incorporated, Oz stated, "Both parties support" cracking down on this practice. Changes to the plan could have a significant impact on UnitedHealth Group Incorporated: 40% of the company's revenue comes from agencies overseen by Oz. Matthew Gillmor, an analyst at KeyBanc Capital Markets, said in an interview in March, "Political support for Medicare Advantage is at an all-time low." Executives at UnitedHealth Group Incorporated have challenged claims of overpayment for Medicare plans and defended their home visit program, which served 2.9 million patients last year. Wyatt Decker, Chief Physician at UnitedHealth Group Incorporated, said these visits are far from being "check-the-box" health risk assessments. Nurses check medications, assess behavioral health issues, and observe living conditions. In one example, they even helped repair a broken refrigerator so that the person could have access to healthy food. They advocate for screenings and preventive care, checking things like fall risks, and the company says that in the long run, this can save costs. The picture of this work painted by the company is vastly different from what Oz and senators described at the hearing. Executives said the company is having productive conversations with the Trump administration to share their perspectives. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated has billions of dollars at stake in the outcome.