UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (UNH): “Medicare Fraud Is Prison,” Warns Jim Cramer

We recently published Jim Cramer’s Fresh 14 Stocks & Thoughts About Market Performance. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH) is one of the stocks Jim Cramer recently discussed.

UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH) is the largest healthcare benefits provider in America. It is also one of the worst-performing stocks in 2025 as the shares have lost 40% year-to-date. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH)’s shares sank by a massive 27.3% in April after the firm stunned investors by missing analyst estimates for its latest quarter. Cramer’s recent remarks about the firm discussed media reports of impropriety and pointed out that UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH) wouldn’t be buying shares if they were true. However, this time, he had a much darker tone:

“[On a WSJ report that UNH deploys doctors and nurses to gather diagnoses that bolster its payments with UNH responding that it welcomes reviews] Well I’m glad they welcome it but I do want to caution them, and I think I happen to like this CEO very much, but Medicare fraud is prison. It’s not, hey listen we’ll slap UNH on the wrist. It’s prison. And it’s probably the most I think easily, the crimes are easily followed and the judgement is swift. The reason why people are so focused on this is that it’s not a fine.”

Previously, the CNBC host discussed UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH) in detail:

“The third worst performer was, wow, UnitedHealth Group, suddenly very troubled managed care company that used to be the ultimate darling in the group. It’s down 38% in the first half. UnitedHealth’s troubles are very well documented. I’m not even talking about the assassination last December, as terrible as that was. The real trouble started in April when the company reported a weak quarter, dragged down by high utilization rates, meaning people are getting much more healthcare than UNH… needs to pay for.

A senior healthcare professional giving advice to a patient in a clinic.

What’s starting to become clear is that the company made some major missteps with its underwriting, especially with Medicare Advantage plans for seniors. They’re far from the only one in the industry with this problem, but UNH might be the hardest hit. This is the largest player in the Medicare Advantage space with the most extensive data, and they really should have been able to avoid these mistakes. They almost always have, but clearly, they didn’t.