NEW YORK, Jan 15, 2026, 18:09 EST — After-hours
- Shares of UnitedHealth rose 1.2% following the launch of a new UnitedHealthcare pilot designed to accelerate payments to select rural hospitals
- The six-month initiative focuses on Medicare Advantage reimbursements across four U.S. states
- Investors are eyeing UnitedHealth’s results set for late January, along with its 2026 forecast
Shares of UnitedHealth Group Incorporated climbed $3.95, or 1.2%, to close at $338.96 on Thursday, beating the modest gains seen across the broader market.
Attention turned back to the company’s government-backed insurance segment, where shifts in payment schedules, medical expenses, and policy changes can quickly alter market sentiment.
UnitedHealthcare on Wednesday kicked off a six-month pilot to speed up Medicare Advantage payments for select independent rural hospitals in Oklahoma, Idaho, Minnesota, and Missouri. The goal: slash collection times to less than 15 days, down from under 30. The move comes as rural hospitals raise alarms about potential healthcare cuts in President Donald Trump’s broad tax-cut and spending plan, which they say could tighten budgets or even trigger closures. 1
“Rural hospitals are the backbone of their communities,” said Bobby Hunter, CEO of UnitedHealthcare Government Programs, calling the initiative a means to let providers focus on patient care during the pilot. 2
The timing aligns with a wider trend investors have noted recently — funds flowing out of mega-cap tech and into sectors like healthcare. “There is a lot of hope that this is going to be the year where we are going to see some true broadening of leadership,” said Angelo Kourkafas, senior global investment strategist at Edward Jones. 3
Managed-care stocks also climbed. Humana jumped 3.6%, Elevance was up 2.4%, CVS increased 2.6%, and Cigna rose 2.5%.
Investors showed little tolerance this week for Medicare Advantage news that flipped from favorable to damaging. A U.S. Senate committee’s report accused UnitedHealth of using aggressive “risk-adjustment” coding — the diagnosis coding that affects government reimbursements. The company pushed back, disputing the claim. 4
The rural payment pilot remains limited and doesn’t address the bigger issue: whether medical use is stabilizing and if pricing is keeping pace. If costs stay stubborn, discussions about margins could overshadow any positive PR from these programs.
UnitedHealth is set to release its full-year 2025 earnings and 2026 outlook on Tuesday, Jan. 27, ahead of the market open. A conference call is scheduled for 8 a.m. ET that day. 5
Traders will watch closely for changes in the company’s outlook on medical costs and new updates on Medicare Advantage results — particularly if the faster-pay initiative remains a pilot or expands further.
Markets are closed today, so all focus shifts to Friday’s session and then to UnitedHealth’s January 27 earnings report, which will be critical for the stock’s direction.
