Earnings Call Intelligence Subscribe
Management credibility scorecard

UnitedHealth Group (UNH)

4 quarters tracked (Q4'25 to Q3'26) · latest call October 13, 2026
Get the next UNH call sheet
77%
Kept of 13 resolved
10
Kept or exceeded
3
Missed
11
Still pending
Share count, 3 yrs/yr · flat

Score History

QuarterCall dateDisclosureFinancial qualityKeptMissed
Q3'26October 13, 20269/121 medium flags00Call sheet →
Q2'26July 16, 20268/122 high, 3 medium, 3 low flags21Call sheet →
Q1'26April 21, 202611/124 medium, 3 low flags50Call sheet →
Q4'25January 27, 20269/121 high, 4 medium, 3 low flags32Call sheet →
Disclosure: the 6-item rubric, each scored 0-2, out of 12. Financial quality: flagged indicators by severity. Kept and missed count the prior-quarter promises scored on that call.

Promise Ledger · All Quarters

MarkedStatusPromise
Q3'26PendingProcess 80% of prior authorizations in real time by end of 2027
Deadline not yet due; not mentioned at all this quarter, so no interim update is available.
Q3'26PendingEnd 2026 with more than 95% of OptumRx clients on 100% rebate pass-through
Metric not repeated on this call at all; actual not stated on the call, so status remains unverified pending.
Q3'26PendingEliminate 30% of prior authorization volume and two-thirds of pediatric prior authorizations by end of 2026
Reaffirmed this quarter as 'on track' with the same specific figures; deadline has not yet arrived.
Q3'26PendingReduce debt-to-capital ratio to approximately 40% by end of 2026
Ratio moved the wrong way this quarter (41.2% to 41.7%), raising execution risk on a target still reiterated as achievable by year-end.
Q3'26PendingComplete total share repurchases of at least $5 billion in 2026
Already hit the $5B floor through Q3 with a quarter still to go; full-year actual not yet reported, so technically still pending per the fiscal-year deadline.
Q3'26PendingMedicare margins to finish 2026 above 3%
Full year not yet complete; this quarter's update revises the outlook upward to 'near the top end of the 2% to 4% range', a positive revision but not yet a resolved actual.
Q2'26PendingProcess 80% of prior authorizations in real-time by end of 2027
Currently at 50% real-time processing. Long runway to hit this target.
Q2'26MissedCommercial margin recovery trajectory toward 7%+ by 2027
Quietly walked back. Now saying recovery extends 'past 2027' with no new timeline.
Q2'26ExceededMedicare margins to be 50 basis points higher year-over-year
Now guiding to above 3% margins versus 2-4% range previously.
Q2'26ExceededDeploy at least $2 billion in buybacks by end of Q2
Already deployed $4 billion through mid-July, doubled the commitment.
Q2'26PendingReduce debt-to-capital ratio to 40% by end of 2026
At 41.2% currently, down from 42.9% in Q1. On track but not there yet.
Q2'26PendingAchieve approximately 2/3 earnings in H1, 1/3 in H2 for 2026
On track so far with Q1 at $7.23 and Q2 at $6.38, but H2 will be the test.
Q1'26DeliveredReturn to historical capital deployment practices
Accelerating $2B share repurchases, ahead of original back-half timeline
Q1'26PendingStrengthen balance sheet and reduce leverage
Debt-to-capital improved to 42.9% from higher levels, targeting 40% by year-end
Q1'26DeliveredAI investments to drive productivity gains
$1B in operating cost reductions already materializing, ahead of schedule
Q1'26ExceededFocus on margin recovery over membership growth
Clearly prioritizing margins, taking deeper membership cuts than originally guided
Q1'26DeliveredOptum Health to return to disciplined value-based care model
Restructured contracts, narrowed network 20%, streamlined risk membership 15%
Q1'26DeliveredMedicare margins to improve by 50 basis points in 2026
Confirmed they're on track for this target with current pricing actions
Q4'25PendingSubstantial offset of V28 impact through benefit design and cost control
Claims to have addressed it but 2026 will be the test of actual execution
Q4'25DeliveredCurrent analyst consensus captures likely stepping off point for 2026
Comfortable with consensus, guided above it with >$17.75 vs street expectations
Q4'25DeliveredReturn to solid growth in 2026, acceleration in 2027
Guided to >8.6% EPS growth in 2026, maintained 2027 acceleration outlook
Q4'25DeliveredOffset approximately half of V28 headwind through payer contracting
Management confirmed 90%+ complete on contracting efforts to offset V28 impact
Q4'25MissedMedicare Advantage contraction of approximately 1 million members
Actual contraction 1.3-1.4M, 30-40% higher than predicted due to competitive dynamics
Q4'25MissedOptumHealth margins of just under 3% for 2025
Delivered $1.5B adjusted baseline after restructuring, significantly below the $3B+ implied by 'just under 3%' margin guidance
Each row is a promise from the prior call, scored against the quarter in "Marked". Kept-promise rate counts resolved promises only; pending is excluded.
Promise-kept rate counts resolved promises only (pending excluded).
Scores, kept-promise rates, and flags on this site reflect the author's opinion, applying a stated methodology to statements management made on public earnings calls. Informational and educational purposes only - not investment advice, a recommendation, or an offer to buy or sell any security. Sources believed reliable but not guaranteed; the author may hold positions in the securities discussed.

Follow what management promises next

Get free previews of our earnings-call research: the key changes, management scores, and questions worth investigating. Subscribe for full call sheets and deeper analysis.

Subscriptions are managed by Substack. If the form does not load, subscribe directly. Or follow the RSS feed.