UnitedHealth third-quarter profit rises 13 percent, tops views

I'm thrilled that a company is making a profit on human illness. America, America, God shed His grace on thee.

Tell me again how these companies do not need governmental intervention and oversight.

A billion dollars profit in four months??? Off of sick people?

This is obscene. The only way to fix this is to go to a single payer system and the egregious profits these people make can then be put back towards the care of those that are being refused medical treatment every day of the week.

Why do the papers run a story about a health insurance company making a profit? Anyone who earns profits in this country with what's his name doing his best to ruin the economy should get a medal. Yay United!

Big thank you to UHG's most productive employees who made this profit possible! Too bad a bunch of them got pink slips last month while others have done nothing for months but still sit around all day surfing the net on their iphones. Great management!

I'll tell you again why they don't need govt. intervention and oversight. Health insurance is a business. And businesses actually try to make profits. Gosh, I just figured people knew that. I know that sounds crazy to those of you from the polit bureau. I love that they make obscene profits. I just hate that the papers report it like it's the crime of the century. It brings out the Michael Moore types like bacon grease brings out the roaches.

Earnings of $1.07 billion on revenue of $21.7 billion comes to about a 4.9% profit margin. Just as a comparison, here are some other industries and their average profit margin. Notice that the outraged press has 4 times the profit margin as UHC.

http://biz.yahoo.com/p/sum_qpmd.html

Industry Net Profit Margin (mrq)

Application Software 21.70
Publishing - Periodicals 20.90
Beverages - Brewers 18.00
Industrial Metals & Minerals 17.90
Drug Manufacturers - Major 16.90
Cigarettes 15.80
Networking & Communication Devices 15.60
Agricultural Chemicals 15.20

Beverages - Wineries & Distillers 13.40
Information & Delivery Services 13.00
Railroads 12.70
Gas Utilities 12.50
Personal Products 11.90
Oil & Gas Drilling & Exploration 11.80
Education & Training Services 11.50
Wireless Communications 10.80
Air Services, Other 10.00
Diversified Communication Services 9.80
Telecom Services - Domestic 9.20
Healthcare Information Services 9.00

Home Health Care 8.90
Drug Delivery 8.90

Medical Instruments & Supplies 8.80
General Entertainment 8.60
Business Software & Services 8.60
Processed & Packaged Goods 8.40
Medical Laboratories & Research 8.10
Publishing - Books 8.00
Restaurants 7.70
Personal Computers 7.70
Food - Major Diversified 7.70
Oil & Gas Equipment & Services 7.60
Cleaning Products 7.40
Conglomerates 7.20
Biotechnology 7.10
REIT - Industrial 6.70
Personal Services 6.70
Beverages - Soft Drinks 6.70
Telecom Services - Foreign 6.50
Foreign Regional Banks 6.50
Drugs - Generic 6.50
Waste Management 6.40
Textile - Apparel Footwear & Accessories 6.40
Electric Utilities 6.20
Auto Parts Stores 6.00
Shipping 5.90
Gold 5.90
Pollution & Treatment Controls 5.60
Small Tools & Accessories 5.50
Oil & Gas Pipelines 5.40
Specialty Eateries 5.30
Recreational Vehicles 5.10
Drug Manufacturers - Other 5.10
Aerospace/Defense Products & Services 5.10
Confectioners 5.00
Tobacco Products, Other 4.80
Security Software & Services 4.80
Metal Fabrication 4.80
Management Services 4.80
Research Services 4.70
Processing Systems & Products 4.70
Internet Information Providers 4.70
Industrial Equipment & Components 4.70
Business Services 4.70
Aerospace/Defense - Major Diversified 4.70
Consumer Services 4.60
Sporting Activities 4.50
Major Integrated Oil & Gas 4.40
Data Storage Devices 4.40
Industrial Electrical Equipment 4.30
Information Technology Services 4.10
Auto Parts Wholesale 4.10
Accident & Health Insurance 4.00
Steel & Iron 3.80
Industrial Equipment Wholesale 3.70
Home Improvement Stores 3.50
Home Furnishing Stores 3.50
Packaging & Containers 3.40
Heavy Construction 3.30
Health Care Plans 3.30
Internet Service Providers 3.20
Electronics Stores 3.20
Hospitals 3.10
General Contractors 3.10
Discount, Variety Stores 3.10
Oil & Gas Refining & Marketing 3.00
Medical Equipment Wholesale 3.00
Insurance Brokers 3.00
Technical Services 2.70
Drug Related Products 2.70
Specialized Health Services 2.60
Air Delivery & Freight Services 2.60
Scientific & Technical Instruments 2.40
Long Distance Carriers 2.40
Food Wholesale 2.30
Dairy Products 2.20
Appliances 2.20
Investment Brokerage - National 2.00
Cement 1.90
Photographic Equipment & Supplies 1.70
Drug Stores 1.70
Business Equipment 1.70
Medical Appliances & Equipment 1.50
Grocery Stores 1.50
Wholesale, Other 1.40
Machine Tools & Accessories 1.40
Money Center Banks 1.30
Meat Products 1.30
Regional Airlines 1.20
Movie Production, Theaters 1.20
Drugs Wholesale 1.20
Chemicals - Major Diversified 1.20
Farm Products 1.00
Independent Oil & Gas 0.80
Apparel Stores 0.70
Computer Peripherals 0.50
Sporting Goods Stores 0.40
Textile - Apparel Clothing 0.20
Catalog & Mail Order Houses 0.10

Two questions, mainly for the anti-UHG crowd:

1. How much profit do you feel UHG SHOULD make? Remember, they need to make some profit in order to stay in business.

2. Do you have your health insurance with UHG? I'd like to get a count of people who do.

Carbon Bigfoot wrote:

Two questions, mainly for the anti-UHG crowd:
1. How much profit do you feel UHG SHOULD make? Remember, they need to make some profit in order to stay in business.
2. Do you have your health insurance with UHG? I'd like to get a count of people who do.

The haters would much rather the people who work FOR UHG were unemployed, and the people insured BY them were uninsured. In both cases, they get to justify larger government handouts, more regulation, and increase their personal hatred of all businesses.

IrishMN wrote:

Tell me again how these companies do not need governmental intervention and oversight.
A billion dollars profit in four months??? Off of sick people?
This is obscene. The only way to fix this is to go to a single payer system and the egregious profits these people make can then be put back towards the care of those that are being refused medical treatment every day of the week.

Actually they made a billion dollars because people WEREN'T SICK! If more people were sick, they would have paid out more than 82% of their revenue in medical care. Here is a fact for you...if they were not paying out for sick people's claims, they would make a lot MORE money.

LBJ wrote:

I'll tell you again why they don't need govt. intervention and oversight. Health insurance is a business. And businesses actually try to make profits. Gosh, I just figured people knew that. I know that sounds crazy to those of you from the polit bureau. I love that they make obscene profits. I just hate that the papers report it like it's the crime of the century. It brings out the Michael Moore types like bacon grease brings out the roaches.

Funny how the only business not running negative numbers vs. last year is the health care industry. Nothing to see here folks, banks failing, auto manufacturers failing, retail outlets failing but somehow health care makes profit increases. Now we know why they don't want reform. It's because that would ruin their profit model of paying lobbyists to get preferential laws to stick it to the little guy to make thier obscene profits and then have people like you cheer them on. YEA!!!

Funny wrote:

<quoted text>
Funny how the only business not running negative numbers vs. last year is the health care industry. Nothing to see here folks, banks failing, auto manufacturers failing, retail outlets failing but somehow health care makes profit increases. Now we know why they don't want reform. It's because that would ruin their profit model of paying lobbyists to get preferential laws to stick it to the little guy to make thier obscene profits and then have people like you cheer them on. YEA!!!

Here's a list of some of the industries that made MORE profit than the health care industry. Maybe yours is on it. Although, more than likely, you get paid by the taxpayers.

Application Software 21.70
Publishing - Periodicals 20.90
Beverages - Brewers 18.00
Industrial Metals & Minerals 17.90
Cigarettes 15.80
Networking & Communication Devices 15.60
Agricultural Chemicals 15.20
Beverages - Wineries & Distillers 13.40
Information & Delivery Services 13.00
Railroads 12.70
Gas Utilities 12.50
Personal Products 11.90
Oil & Gas Drilling & Exploration 11.80
Education & Training Services 11.50
Wireless Communications 10.80
Air Services, Other 10.00
Diversified Communication Services 9.80
Telecom Services - Domestic 9.20
General Entertainment 8.60
Business Software & Services 8.60
Processed & Packaged Goods 8.40
Medical Laboratories & Research 8.10
Publishing - Books 8.00
Restaurants 7.70
Personal Computers 7.70
Food - Major Diversified 7.70
Oil & Gas Equipment & Services 7.60
Cleaning Products 7.40
Conglomerates 7.20
Biotechnology 7.10
Personal Services 6.70
Beverages - Soft Drinks 6.70
Telecom Services - Foreign 6.50
Waste Management 6.40
Textile - Apparel Footwear & Accessories 6.40
Electric Utilities 6.20
Auto Parts Stores 6.00
Shipping 5.90
Gold 5.90
Pollution & Treatment Controls 5.60
Small Tools & Accessories 5.50
Oil & Gas Pipelines 5.40
Specialty Eateries 5.30
Recreational Vehicles 5.10
Aerospace/Defense Products & Services 5.10
Confectioners 5.00

This is what United Healthcare's profits are built on:

http://www.youtube.com/watch...

WOMEN! WATCH THIS VIDEO!

http://www.youtube.com/watch...

Need Healthcare wrote:

WOMEN! WATCH THIS VIDEO!
http://www.youtube.com/watch...

For every horror story that someone can come up with involving private health insurance, someone else could come with a horror story involving the VA or Medicare or any of the other bankrupt government-run health care systems.

Stevie wrote:

<quoted text>
For every horror story that someone can come up with involving private health insurance, someone else could come with a horror story involving the VA or Medicare or any of the other bankrupt government-run health care systems.

Even though a far higher percentage of people have private insurance than VA/Medicare combined.

Bob the Bilderberg wrote:

<quoted text>
Here's a list of some of the industries that made MORE profit than the health care industry. Maybe yours is on it. Although, more than likely, you get paid by the taxpayers.
Application Software 21.70
Publishing - Periodicals 20.90
Beverages - Brewers 18.00
Industrial Metals & Minerals 17.90
Cigarettes 15.80
Networking & Communication Devices 15.60
Agricultural Chemicals 15.20
Beverages - Wineries & Distillers 13.40
Information & Delivery Services 13.00
Railroads 12.70
Gas Utilities 12.50
Personal Products 11.90
Oil & Gas Drilling & Exploration 11.80
Education & Training Services 11.50
Wireless Communications 10.80
Air Services, Other 10.00
Diversified Communication Services 9.80
Telecom Services - Domestic 9.20
General Entertainment 8.60
Business Software & Services 8.60
Processed & Packaged Goods 8.40
Medical Laboratories & Research 8.10
Publishing - Books 8.00
Restaurants 7.70
Personal Computers 7.70
Food - Major Diversified 7.70
Oil & Gas Equipment & Services 7.60
Cleaning Products 7.40
Conglomerates 7.20
Biotechnology 7.10
Personal Services 6.70
Beverages - Soft Drinks 6.70
Telecom Services - Foreign 6.50
Waste Management 6.40
Textile - Apparel Footwear & Accessories 6.40
Electric Utilities 6.20
Auto Parts Stores 6.00
Shipping 5.90
Gold 5.90
Pollution & Treatment Controls 5.60
Small Tools & Accessories 5.50
Oil & Gas Pipelines 5.40
Specialty Eateries 5.30
Recreational Vehicles 5.10
Aerospace/Defense Products & Services 5.10
Confectioners 5.00

Come on Bob. If your going to spout statistics like this at least back it up with a link so we can judge the credibility and source of these numbers. If even half of these numbers are correct we should be out of the recession by now and businesses would be hiring to grab all this new business and make bigger profits.

ComeOn wrote:

<quoted text>
Come on Bob. If your going to spout statistics like this at least back it up with a link so we can judge the credibility and source of these numbers. If even half of these numbers are correct we should be out of the recession by now and businesses would be hiring to grab all this new business and make bigger profits.

He did, about 5 posts above the one you quoted. But don't bother to read all the posts...just complain about what little you can when the facts are shoved in your face.

Incredible70 wrote:

<quoted text>
But don't bother to read all the posts...just complain about what little you can when the facts are shoved in your face.

That is exactly what I tell all my Republi-thug friends on a daily basis.

Carbon Bigfoot wrote:

Two questions, mainly for the anti-UHG crowd:
1. How much profit do you feel UHG SHOULD make? Remember, they need to make some profit in order to stay in business.
2. Do you have your health insurance with UHG? I'd like to get a count of people who do.

Well, it's been 2 days and nobody has tried to answer, I guess the UHG-haters just can't come up with any numbers, and none of them has insurance through UHG (so why are they complaining?).

IrishMN wrote:

<quoted text>
That is exactly what I tell all my Republi-thug friends on a daily basis.

Don't agree with me. I don't need your insanity linked to my posts.

As they say,'with friends like you, who needs enemies'