UnitedHealth beats Q2 earnings but signals rising health costs for employers

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UnitedHealth Group smashed through investors’ earnings expectations in the second quarter, with executives confidently saying this new level of profit is durable for the foreseeable future.

The numbers lifted the company’s stock about 3% as it attempts to return to financial dominance under CEO Stephen Hemsley . But a string of comments made during the company’s earnings call on Thursday signals a more ominous path ahead for America’s businesses and workers.

More than 150 million Americans get their health coverage from a job. A new series from STAT chronicles how the costs of that insurance are stretching employers like never before. An increasing number of America’s small businesses are abandoning traditional health benefits completely, forcing workers to find alternative options.

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