Minnetonka, Minn.-based UnitedHealth Group released its second quarter earnings July 17, posting revenues of $45.8 billion. Here are six insights into UnitedHealth, as transcribed by SeekingAlpha:
1. CEO David Wichmann on how UnitedHealth guides its business: "Consistency in high-quality care, consumer experience and value build trust and loyalty. These drive retention and growth and position us to deliver strong and reliable financial results in 2019, 2020 and beyond."
2. Mr. Wichmann on UnitedHealth's integrated pharmacy care services: "We deliver integrated pharmacy care services to employers and health plans on both a carve-in and a carve-out basis. Health plans and employers continue to award OptumRx new business, while existing customers are retained at a high 90s percentage rate, year after year."
3. Optum CEO Andrew Witty on Optum's $24.7 billion company-leading revenues: "Overall, Optum second quarter revenues grew by more than $2 billion over last year, growth of about 9 percent to nearly $25 billion. Optum's earnings from operations rose 21.5 percent, driven by strong revenue growth and 80 basis points of margin expansion, due to both operating advances and solid, fundamental expense disciplines. Importantly, all three Optum segments expanded margins and grew operating earnings strongly."
4. Mr. Wichmann on the second quarter: "We think about the numbers shared with you today as the result of serving millions of people, one person at a time, one health system at a time. We continue to advance value, simplicity, affordability and quality. Doing so in differentiated ways increases our value and sustains our growth. Growth provides even more opportunities to fulfill our mission and deliver long-term performance for the people we serve and our shareholders."
5. Mr. Wichmann on expectations for the rest of the year: "We begin to shift focus to the year ahead when we expect our enterprise to continue to innovate, grow and perform strongly for society and for our investors. We expect to grow revenues, earnings and cash flows broadly across the expanse of our uniquely diversified and increasingly global healthcare portfolio. We won't get into specifics now, but at this distance we see more tailwinds than headwinds."
"As was the case heading into 2018, the tailwinds in our businesses are largely generated internally, coming from strong and diversified growth across our five distinct pillars, all aimed at achieving our longstanding mission. To achieve this growth, our businesses will continue to make deeper investments in quality improvements, technology deployment, delivery system optimization, consumer-centric financing mechanisms and other innovations to improve the value individuals receive from the health system."
6. Despite the increase in revenues, UnitedHealth fell short of analysts' expectations. Mr. Wichmann on the company's drive: "As solid as our performance may seem, we are not satisfied, given our organization's capabilities and capacities to serve. Despite strong top-line growth and results, we are not performing at, nor consistently growing to, our full potential. This has, and will continue to be, an area of intense focus for our business leaders."