Those additional costs affected beneficiaries of Medical Advantage plans as well as those enrolled in standard Medicare plans, according to the investigation conducted by the Joint Economic Committee.

The bipartisan group of lawmakers representing the Senate and the House is led by Rep. David Schweikert (R., Ariz.).

The committee found that the average American senior’s Medicare premiums rose about 10%, or more than $200 annually, due to the alleged overpayments last year.

The premium hike was partly attributed to a controversial tactic health insurers use to add payment-boosting diagnoses for Medicare Advantage members.

The additional spending on Medicare Advantage “is not just coming out of the federal government’s budget,” Schweikert said, adding, “A portion of this comes out of you.”

America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP), which represents health insurers, denied the allegations. The committee’s findings were based on “fundamentally flawed data, methodology, and extrapolations” and shouldn’t dictate policy, WSJ reported, citing a spokesperson for AHIP.

UnitedHealth (UNH) is the biggest player in the MA market, followed by Humana (HUM). CVS Health’s (CVS) Aetna unit, Clover Health (CLOV), and Alignment Healthcare (ALHC) are among other MA operators.

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Here, we are scanning the healthcare sector for reliable dividend payers. Below is a list of healthcare companies currently offering some of the highest dividend yields in the sector.

• Oramed Pharmaceuticals (ORMP) – Dividend yield – 7.61%.
• Embecta (EMBC) – Dividend yield – 6.62%.
• Pfizer (PFE) – Dividend yield – 6.36%.
• DENTSPLY SIRONA (XRAY) – Dividend yield – 5.02%.
• National Research (NRC) – Dividend yield – 4.39%.
• Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMY) – Dividend yield – 4.18%.
• CVS Health (CVS) – Dividend yield – 3.41%.
• Viatris (VTRS) – Dividend yield – 3.39%.
• UnitedHealth (UNH) – Dividend yield – 3.09%.
• Abbvie (ABBV) – Dividend yield – 3.01%.

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Citing a recent survey of firms in the New York-Northern New Jersey region, the researchers led by Jaison Abel noted that had health insurance costs not risen, those businesses would have offered a roughly 4.7% average wage increase in 2025.

Compared to their average wage increase of 3.8% in 2025, “the wage growth for workers at these service and manufacturing firms would have been about one percentage point higher, on average, if health insurance costs had held steady,” the team wrote.

That was equivalent to a 20% drag on wage growth, they said, adding that “there does appear to be a connection between rising health insurance costs and wage growth among many firms.”

In October, healthcare policy organization, the Kaiser Family Foundation estimated that health insurance costs rose by about 6% in 2025 and are on track for another 11% rise this year, a finding confirmed by the Fed survey, which indicated a 13% hike.

Citing health insurers, Abel said that these coverage costs have been largely driven by soaring expenditure on hospitalization and physician care in addition to expenses on GLP-1 and other prescription drugs.

“While not every firm provides health insurance to its workers, it appears that rising employee health insurance costs are increasing cost pressures for some businesses, limiting wage growth for many workers,” the researchers concluded.

Health insurers: UnitedHealth (UNH), Humana (HUM), CVS Health (CVS), Cigna (CI), Clover Health (CLOV), Alignment Healthcare (ALHC), Centene (CNC), Molina Healthcare (MOH), and Elevance Health (ELV).

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Vance and Dr. Mehmet Oz, who oversees the

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As of Feb. 1, approximately 35.5M Americans were enrolled in Medicare Advantage, a government-funded healthcare program that mainly caters to older adults and people with disabilities. That indicates nearly 3% growth from last year, when there were roughly 34.4M MA enrollments.

Historically, MA annual enrollment growth stood at 7%–10% between 2017 and 2024. Stat reported adding that the annual enrollment period, which runs from October 15 to December 7 each year, showed only a 1% increase in MA enrollments in 2025.

According to the analysis, nearly all health insurers cut their enrollments, while Humana (HUM) increased its numbers.

UnitedHealth (UNH) is the largest operator in the MA market, followed by Humana (HUM). CVS Health’s (CVS) Aetna unit, Clover Health (CLOV), and Alignment Healthcare (ALHC) are among other players in the MA market.

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Tiger Global disclosed the information in its

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In late January, UnitedHealth (UNH), the number one player in the Medicare Advantage market, dropped nearly 20% after the Eden Prairie, Minnesota-based health insurer projected 2026 revenue well short of Street forecasts.

On Tuesday, CVS Health (CVS), the operator of health insurer Aetna, closed lower despite posting a double beat with its Q4 2025 results, as the company’s reaffirmed earnings outlook fell short of analysts’ expectations at the midpoint.

Humana (HUM), the number two player in the MA market, on Wednesday posted $17.14 of adj. EPS for 2025 but estimated at least $9.00 of adjusted EPS for 2026 compared to $12.00 in the consensus.

The Louisville, Kentucky-based firm cited an impact from a decline in Medicare Star Ratings, which it said will hurt its 2026 quality bonus payments paid by Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) for top-rated healthcare plans.

“We continue to feel good about our consumer-focused strategy and our individual Medicare Advantage membership growth in 2026, which will allow us to build for the future with even better outcomes and experiences,” CEO Jim Rechtin said.

However, Humana (HUM) posted $32.6B in revenue for the quarter with ~12% YoY growth, exceeding the consensus by $630M, while its adj. net loss per share rose ~83% YoY to $3.96, still beating Street estimates by $0.03.

The company said its benefit ratio for the insurance segment stood at 93.1% in Q4, indicating an increase of 100 bps, and it expects the ratio to reach 92.50% – 93.00% in 2026 amid a roughly 25% YoY growth in Medicare Advantage memberships thanks to new sales and other factors.

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Still, despite the sharp selloff, analyst sentiment remains mixed, with several experts maintaining Buy ratings even while they acknowledged the challenging road ahead.

What Happened to UnitedHealth?

UnitedHealth reported Q4 2025 adjusted earnings per share of $2.11, in line with consensus. Meanwhile, the firm’s revenue of $113.2 billion missed estimates by approximately $520 million despite 12% year-over-year growth. The company also took a $1.6 billion post-tax charge related to restructuring, divestitures, and lingering cyberattack costs.

Investors were more concerned with the 2026 outlook. Management guided for revenue of more than $439 billion, significantly below the $456 billion analyst consensus, and adjusted EPS of greater than $17.75.

The earnings report came just hours after the CMS proposed a net average payment increase of just 0.09% for Medicare Advantage plans in 2027. This was dramatically below the 4% to 6% increase analysts had anticipated.

This proposal sent managed care stocks tumbling in after-hours trading, with Humana (HUM), CVS Health (CVS), and Elevance Health (ELV) all experiencing significant declines. The combination of weak guidance and regulatory headwinds wiped out more than $50 billion in market capitalization for UNH in a single trading session.

Management indicated the company would prioritize margin recovery over membership growth in 2026, expecting Medicare Advantage membership to contract by 1.3 to 1.4 million members. The medical care ratio came in at 89.1% for 2025, up from 85.5% in 2024, reflecting pressure from Medicare funding reductions and elevated medical cost trends. CEO Stephen Hemsley noted that the company had “confronted challenges directly” and emerged from 2025 as “a much stronger company.”

What Do Analysts Say About UnitedHealth’s Future?

Despite the sharp decline, several analysts maintained bullish stances on UnitedHealth, viewing the selloff as overdone. Bulls pointed to the company’s strong cash flow generation of $19.7 billion in 2025, its strategic shift toward margin recovery, and the potential for CMS to revise the final Medicare Advantage rate higher by April (as has occurred in eight of the past ten years). The company’s investments in AI and automation, expected to drive $1 billion in cost savings in 2026, also provide reasons for optimism.

Bears, however, highlighted the structural challenges facing the Medicare Advantage business, with rising medical costs and flat government reimbursements creating a widening margin squeeze. The medical care ratio remains elevated at nearly 89%, well above historical levels of 82% to 85%, the bears pointed out.

Some analysts also expressed concern about the company’s ability to meet even its conservative guidance, given the uncertainty around 2027 rates and the potential for further membership losses.

Here’s a breakdown of what some analysts had to say:

Mike Zaccardi, CFA, CMT, Rating: Buy: “The stock appears attractive from a valuation perspective, but the technicals clearly show the bears being in control.”– UnitedHealth: The Bearish 1-2 Punch Pressuring Shares, And Why I’m Bullish

Danil Sereda, Rating: Buy: “Despite the clear risks of a further correction, I believe the stock price has already absorbed most of the negatives. The forward EPS and revenue growth rates aren’t going to fade, in my view, as long as the updated management team keeps executing on its plans and guidance… I see upside potential of more than 22% from the current stock price.” – UnitedHealth Q4 Earnings Review: The Selloff Looks Overdone After Results

Cyn Research, Rating: Buy: “Times of uncertainty are often the best buying opportunities, as in other scenarios involving more positive sentiment, a lot of future growth is already priced in, increasing the potential downside… The turnaround might take longer than expected but is still one worth betting on.” – UnitedHealth Group: Recovery Might Take Longer, But Contrarians Know What To Do

Jonathan Weber, Rating: Buy: “It is pretty clear that UnitedHealth has problems: there are political headwinds when it comes to Medicare funding, there are steep cost increases, etc. But to me, it is also clear that UNH has opportunities… For risk-averse investors, UNH isn’t a good choice. However, for enterprising investors with a longer-term investment horizon, UnitedHealth is appealing at the current price.” – UnitedHealth: Outlook Makes Shares Plunge

Quad 7 Capital, Rating: Buy: “This was quarter was less than what we expected out of UNH, and the earnings inflection confirmation that we got was weaker than expected. Yes, things are getting better, but not as much improvement as we expected… Long-term, we still see upside. You figure $17.75 in EPS puts shares at a below-market multiple now of 16X.” – UnitedHealth Group: Double Whammy Disaster

The Techie, Rating: Hold: “This pullback should not automatically be viewed as a buying opportunity, as weakness is broad-based across the managed care sector… UNH’s rising medical care ratio is a real fundamental concern. While Optum remains a bright spot and continues to be the strategic asset that differentiates UNH from peers, its strength is no longer enough to fully offset pressure in the insurance business.” – UnitedHealth Group Stock Is Not Attractive Yet: Caution Is Warranted

Julia Ostian, Rating: Buy: “Losing such a massive amount of market cap for a powerhouse like UnitedHealth looks like a major, major overreaction to me… Just like the dip we saw in August, I expect a rebound once the market realizes that UnitedHealth is fine, so I even consider adding more on this drop.” – UnitedHealth Group: I Might Add On This Massive Overreaction

Edmund Ingham, Rating: Hold: “At this point—and I would note it remains early days and the shock factor may have driven the stock down further than is truly warranted—I don’t anticipate a fast recovery for the share price of Humana or UnitedHealth… The only sensible decision an investor can make today is to hold onto stock and monitor developments.” – UnitedHealth, Humana: CMS’ Rate Decision Has Crushed Them, And There’s No Quick Fix

What Do the Quant Ratings Say?

UnitedHealth currently carries a Hold rating from Seeking Alpha’s quant system. The company continues to demonstrate strong profitability, earning an A+ grade, with a net income margin of 4% that significantly exceeds the sector median of 0.5%. Valuation also scores well at B+, helped by the a sell-off in the stock that now sees it down almost 50% over the past year.

However, growth metrics present significant concerns, receiving an F grade. Forward EBITDA growth stands at -8% compared to the sector’s 8%, while forward EPS growth of -11% trails the sector average of 13%. Momentum also remains weak at D+, with one-year price performance of -34% underperforming the sector’s -4%. Earnings revisions present a mixed picture at B-, with 19 upward EPS revisions offset by 6 downward revisions.

What Is UnitedHealth?

The Basics: UnitedHealth Group Incorporated, founded in 1974 and headquartered in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, is a diversified healthcare and well-being company operating globally. The company is organized into two complementary businesses: UnitedHealthcare, which offers health benefit plans and services for individuals, employers, and government programs, including Medicare and Medicaid; and Optum, an information and technology-enabled health services business operating through Optum Health, Optum Insight, and Optum Rx segments.

Competitive Landscape: UnitedHealth faces competition from several major players in the healthcare and insurance industry, including Humana Inc. and Elevance Health Inc. The company holds the largest position in the Medicare Advantage market with approximately 29% of all enrollees, serving roughly 9.9 million members. However, the industry faces significant regulatory challenges, with CMS reimbursement rates emerging as a key pressure point and rising medical cost trends threatening profitability across the managed care sector.

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