UnitedHealth (NYSE: UNH) stock’s extended session crash between January 26 and 27 drew renewed scrutiny of a UNH trade filing made by Representative Kevin Hern as recently as January 23.
Specifically, the Republican Congressman revealed on Friday that he had sold up to $500,000 of the healthcare giant’s equity before reports that the Trump Administration wants to keep Medicare insurer payments relatively level came out.
Representative Hern’s UNH stock sale is especially suspicious due to the insurance giant’s latest price collapse. At the time the Congressman’s filing was made, UnitedHealth shares were changing hands at $356.26, while, at press time on January 27, they are trading at $321.22 following an 8.65% overnight crash.
Zooming out, UNH stock appeared to be on the mend since 2026 started until the Trump Administration suddenly reversed its uptrend – and led to price collapse for multiple other healthcare stocks – late on Monday.
Why UNH stock is crashing
Previously, observers were expecting the rates paid to private insurers that manage Medicare Advantage plans to rise between 4% and 5% due to the overall rise in costs.
Instead, the U.S. government proposed a significantly smaller, 0.09%, claiming the figure accounts for underlying cost trends, changes to the risk adjustments model, and 2026 quality ratings back the figure.
The Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Mehmet Oz – better known as Dr. Oz of the daytime talk show fame – also commented that ‘these proposed payment policies are about making sure Medicare Advantage works better for the people it serves.’
Is Representative Hern’s UNH stock sale truly suspicious
Elsewhere, despite the curious timing of Representative Hern’s filing, the date of the massive UNH stock sale could indicate the politician was not acting on any sort of insider knowledge.
Indeed, the Republican sold one month before disclosing the trade on December 23, 2025, meaning he missed out on the UnitedHealth share rally of late last year and of early January.
Why UNH stock could turn green at Tuesday morning bell
Lastly, it is worth noting that UNH stock’s extended session drop might not persist until the market’s open on Tuesday, January 27. UnitedHealth is scheduled to release its earnings report for the fourth quarter (Q4) of 2025.
Should it meet or exceed the consensus expectation of adjusted earnings of $2.10 a share and revenue of $113.8 billion, it could erase its latest price crash entirely.
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