Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images Shares of UnitedHealth Group plunged more than 13% on Thursday following a report that the Department of Justice is conducting a criminal investigation into the health-care giant over possible Medicare fraud. The DOJ is focusing on the company’s Medicare Advantage business practices, but the exact nature of the potential…

A robotic arm fills prescriptions at a Walgreens’ micro-fulfillment center. Courtesy: Walgreens As struggling drugstore chains work to regain their footing, Walgreens is doubling down on automation.  The company is expanding the number of retail stores served by its micro-fulfillment centers, which use robots to fill thousands of prescriptions for patients who take medications to…

Hinge Health co-founders Gabriel Mecklenburg (left) and Daniel Perez (right). Courtesy of Hinge Health At digital physical therapy startup Hinge Health, CEO Daniel Perez used to recognize hard-working employees with the “Cockroach Award,” a distinction that brought with it a “cockroach squad” t-shirt and a cash payout. References to the insect were abundant at the…

CVS Pharmacy logo is seen in Washington DC, United States on July 9, 2024. Jakub Porzycki | Nurphoto | Getty Images CVS Health on Thursday reported first-quarter earnings and revenue that topped estimates and hiked its guidance, as its troubled insurance business showed some improvement during the period.  Shares of CVS closed 4% higher Thursday.…

Flags with the logos of Danish drugmaker Novo Nordisk, maker of the blockbuster diabetes and weight-loss treatments Ozempic and Wegovy are pictures while the company presents the annual report at Novo Nordisk in Bagsvaerd, Denmark, on February 5, 2025.  Mads Claus Rasmussen | Afp | Getty Images Novo Nordisk scored a huge legal victory that…

Candy is displayed for sale, as U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., along with FDA Commissioner Marty Makary, announce the FDA’s intent to remove from the U.S. food supply “petroleum-based synthetic” food dyes, which are present in numerous foods such as breakfast cereals, candy, snacks, and beverages, at a grocery…

Eli Lilly on Thursday said its daily obesity pill met the company’s goals in the first of several late-stage trials, helping patients with Type 2 diabetes lower their blood sugar and body weight and showing safety comparable with popular injections on the market.  The trial results are among the pharmaceutical industry’s most closely watched studies…

UnitedHealth CEO Andrew Witty testifies before the Senate Finance Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, May 1, 2024. Kent Nishimura | Getty Images Following the massive cyberattack on UnitedHealth Group’s Change Healthcare unit last year, the company launched a temporary funding assistance program to help medical practices with their short-term cash flow needs, offering no-interest…

An aerial of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services building on March 19, 2025 in Woodlawn, Maryland.  Kayla Bartkowski | Getty Images The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has slashed jobs from its minority health office and other divisions, CNBC has learned, as Robert F. Kennedy Jr. upends the U.S. health department.  During…

SEIZED OZEMPIC, WEGOVY AND OTHER WEIGHT LOSS DRUGS AT JFK AIRPORT’S INTERNATIONAL MAIL FACILITY. CNBC COPENHAGEN, Denmark — Europe’s pharmaceutical sector is bracing for the potential impact of U.S. tariffs as hopes of an industry-wide exemption by U.S. President Donald Trump fade. The pharmaceutical industry has until now been exempt from trade levies, but Trump…