UnitedHealth CEO vows to rebate Affordable Care Act profits to customers

UnitedHealth Group CEO Stephen Hemsley said the company will rebate 2026 profits from Affordable Care Act plans to about 1 million enrollees; the company says rebate details are still being worked out.

UnitedHealth Group's CEO Stephen Hemsley said the company will rebate profits from Affordable Care Act plans for 2026. UnitedHealth provides ACA coverage to about 1 million people across 30 states. Hemsley made the statement ahead of a Jan. 22 House health subcommittee hearing where five insurers' CEOs are scheduled to testify. The pledge follows the expiration of expanded COVID-era tax credits at the end of 2025, after which reported average costs for many subsidized enrollees rose sharply. Key details: - Stephen Hemsley said UnitedHealth will voluntarily eliminate and rebate profits for individual ACA market coverages in 2026. - UnitedHealth covers roughly 1 million ACA enrollees in 30 states. - KFF reported that without the enhanced tax credits, average costs for 22 million subsidized enrollees more than doubled in January. - The House voted Jan. 8 to extend enhanced subsidies for three years, but the Senate previously rejected the enhancements and Congressional action remains uncertain. - UnitedHealth said it is still working out the mechanics of the rebates and intends to return the money to ACA members. - The ACA's 80/20 rule requires insurers to rebate consumers if plans spend less than 80% of premiums on medical care and quality improvement. Summary: UnitedHealth's pledge would direct profits from 2026 ACA plans back to enrolled members while the company finalizes rebate details. Hemsley will testify at the Jan. 22 House subcommittee hearing on insurance affordability, and broader federal policy on enhanced subsidies remains unresolved.