UnitedHealth stock slips as WSJ flags Optum mail-order refills ahead of 2026 guidance
NEW YORK, December 29, 2025, 10:11 ET — Regular session UnitedHealth Group Incorporated shares edged lower on Monday after a Wall Street Journal investigation said mail-order pharmacies owned by major insurers, including UnitedHealth, dispensed billions of dollars of excess prescription drugs to Medicare patients. Wall Street Journal The report matters because it keeps a spotlight on Optum, UnitedHealth’s services arm, at a time when investors are focused on regulatory risk around Medicare and pharmacy practices and are looking for a clearer 2026 outlook from the company. Wall Street Journal+1 It also lands as UnitedHealth tries to reassure shareholders that internal