UnitedHealth Group’s Organizational Structure

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Introduction

UnitedHealth Group is a leading American healthcare company founded in 1977. It operates as a diversified health and well-being organization, with its headquarters in Minnetonka, Minnesota. UnitedHealth Group is known for its extensive involvement in healthcare services, including health insurance, healthcare delivery, technology solutions, and pharmacy services.

With a workforce of more than 400,000 people, it is one of the largest healthcare employers in the United States, the eleventh-largest company in the world by revenue, and the largest healthcare company in the world by revenue. It was ranked 10th on the 2023 Fortune Global 500 and had a market cap of US$477.4 billion as of August 2023. 

An interesting aspect of UnitedHealth is its comprehensive coverage of the healthcare space, with operations encompassing a wide range of services from health insurance through its UnitedHealthcare subsidiary to healthcare delivery through Optum. The company’s wide-reaching impact in the healthcare industry has positioned it as a major player in addressing various health and well-being needs for individuals and communities.

UnitedHealth Group’s Leadership

UnitedHealth’s day-to-day operations are led by a 28-strong top team. This is ultimately led by the CEO of UnitedHealth Group who has the various CEOs of the Group’s other companies—i.e., Optum, Optum Rx, and UnitedHealth—reporting to him, alongside other C-level executives and VPs from the UnitedHealth Group. 

UnitedHealth Group's Organizational Structure Chart

UnitedHealth also has a Board of Directors, a critical governance body whose primary purpose is to represent the interests of the company’s shareholders or stakeholders and to provide oversight and strategic guidance to the company’s management.

As with many boards, UnitedHealth’s board largely holds an advisory role. However, some do have wide-reaching powers, duties, and responsibilities as stipulated by corporate law and government regulations, particularly in heavily regulated industries such as finance and pharma. 

UnitedHealth Group's Board of Directors Chart

UnitedHealth Group’s Organizational Structure

UnitedHealth Group operates with a functional organizational structure, a type that’s commonly seen in large, diversified corporations with operations spanning several different operational areas. 

Functional organizations typically have a top team of executives sitting atop the organizational hierarchy, as is the case for UnitedHealth. These people are responsible for setting the overall strategic direction for UnitedHealth Group. 

The organization is then split into various functional departments, each responsible for specific aspects of the business. Common functions include Operations, Finance, Human Resources, Legal, Marketing, and Information Technology. Each department is headed by senior executives with expertise in those areas.

As we’ve already touched on, UnitedHealth Group is a diversified healthcare company with multiple operating subsidiaries. The most well-known are UnitedHealthcare and Optum. These subsidiaries have their own distinct structures and leadership, focusing on health insurance, healthcare delivery, and technology solutions, among other services. The leader of each UnitedHealth Group operating subsidiary is represented on the UnitedHealth Group leadership team by its CEO.

As we venture further down the hierarchy of the Group and its various subsidiaries, there may be divisions organized by geographic regions, each adapting strategies to the unique needs and regulations of their respective markets.

This functional structure allows UnitedHealth Group to efficiently manage its diverse range of healthcare businesses and services, from insurance and clinical care to technology solutions. While it promotes specialization within different functions, it can also present challenges related to communication and coordination between other parts of the organization. However, corporate leadership is crucial in ensuring alignment and cohesion across the company’s various subsidiaries and functions.

Want to learn more about functional and other organizational structures and their role in the business world? Here are some helpful blog resources that you can get started with:

Create this chart in Organimi! 

You can download the CSV file of UnitedHealth Group’s org structure, import it into Organimi and start editing this chart right away! Here’s how:

  1.  From your dashboard, select Data Import.
  2.  Click the CSV tile.
  3.  Click +Upload Your File.   
  4. Select an Excel file from your device.
  5.  In the Organization field, click the down arrow to select an organization.
  6. Click Create a New Chart
  7. Click Next and select: Organization Chart
  8. Select the auto-build tool to automatically build your chart.
  9. Voila!

Download CSV file:
United Health Group (10.08 KB)

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