MINNETONKA, Minn. (Diya TV) — UnitedHealth Group CEO Andrew Witty announced his resignation Tuesday, stepping down for “personal reasons,” according to a company statement. His departure comes amid a series of crises for the nation’s largest health care conglomerate, including surging medical costs, a high-profile murder, federal investigations, and mounting public backlash over its claims processing practices.
Stephen Hemsley, the company’s longtime chairman and former CEO (2006–2017), will take over effective immediately, UnitedHealth confirmed. Witty, who assumed the top post in 2021, led the company through what Hemsley described as “some of the most challenging times any company has ever faced.” But those challenges have only grown more severe in recent months.
Following the announcement of Witty’s resignation, UnitedHealth Group’s stock plunged more than 17%. That drop, combined with an earlier decline in April after disappointing quarterly earnings, has cut the company’s market value nearly in half over the past month alone.
The company also withdrew its financial guidance for 2025, citing unexpected spikes in medical care usage. It now expects to “return to growth in 2026,” according to its statement.
Witty’s tenure has come under increasing scrutiny. A February 2024 investigation by Stat News and ProPublica revealed that under his leadership, UnitedHealth ramped up its use of artificial intelligence algorithms to deny patient claims, often with a reported 90% error rate. The reports cited whistleblowers and internal documents indicating the AI was systematically rejecting care that should have been approved, particularly impacting elderly and chronically ill patients.
Separately, The New York Times and other outlets have reported on ongoing federal investigations into alleged Medicare Advantage fraud by UnitedHealth, with critics accusing the company of exploiting seniors to maximize profits. In November 2024, the U.S. Department of Justice, along with attorneys general from four states, filed an antitrust lawsuit seeking to block UnitedHealth’s $3.3 billion acquisition of Amedisys, a home health provider.
The leadership turmoil at UnitedHealth intensified after the shocking killing of Brian Thompson, the CEO of UnitedHealthcare, the company’s insurance arm, in December 2023. Thompson was shot in Midtown Manhattan. Police later arrested Luigi Mangione, 27, in Pennsylvania. Mangione, who pleaded not guilty, was reportedly carrying a statement at the time of arrest condemning “corruption” and “power games” in the health care industry.
In response to the killing, Witty published an op-ed in the Times acknowledging public frustration with the American health system. “No one would design a system like the one we have. And no one did,” he wrote. “It’s a patchwork built over decades. Our mission is to help make it work better.”
UnitedHealth has grown into a titan of U.S. health care under Witty’s watch, controlling not only the insurance market through UnitedHealthcare but also physician networks and pharmacy benefit management through its Optum subsidiary. The company now employs over 90,000 doctors and manages one of the nation’s largest health services infrastructures.
Witty previously served as CEO of GlaxoSmithKline and was chancellor of the University of Nottingham from 2013 to 2017. Tim Noel, a longtime company executive, has succeeded Thompson at UnitedHealthcare.
As UnitedHealth’s board looks for long-term leadership, the company faces not only financial instability but also mounting legal and reputational risks that may define its future well beyond 2025.
