100 Most Influential People in Healthcare - 2023

Witty, appointed CEO of UnitedHealth Group in 2021, is responsible for the overall performance and long-term growth of the company’s businesses. These include Optum, a care delivery organization with about 90,000 employed or aligned physicians, and UnitedHealthcare, which has more than 47 million members in the U.S. Witty, who previously served as CEO of Optum, has held several leadership roles at UnitedHealth Group. He personally lobbied this year against a proposed rule from the Biden administration lowering Medicare Advantage payments. The company under his leadership has also made major moves into the home health space: It closed a $5.4 billion deal in February to acquire LHC Group, which has operations in 38 states. A few months later, Optum agreed to purchase home health company Amedisys for an estimated $3.3 billion, pending regulatory approval.