100 Most Influential People in Healthcare – 2016
Rank 7
Stephen Hemsley,
63
President and CEO, UnitedHealth Group
- Compensation: $14,518,164 - according to 2016 proxy statement
- Years on list: 7
Hemsley became CEO in 2006, replacing Dr. William McGuire, who was ousted over a stock options backdating scandal. Since taking over, UnitedHealth Group has grown from $71.5 billion in revenue to roughly $180 billion, making it the 17th largest company in the world, according to Fortune's rankings. His company's financial and political reach is almost unmatched'from Medicare Advantage to managed Medicaid to small and large employers'although it was Hemsley's decision to abandon most of the Affordable Care Act's individual exchanges that created shockwaves throughout the industry this past year.