Bob Herman covers health insurance, government programs, hospitals, physicians, and other providers — reporting on how money influences those businesses and shapes what we all pay for care. He is also the author of the Health Care Inc. newsletter. You can reach Bob on Signal at bobjherman.09.

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A 91-year-old woman in Nebraska was going to sell an old stoneware crock for $20 in her garage sale, but it was too heavy to move. So she put it up for auction, and it fetched her…$32,000. A delightful story. Send me all of your good news and weird auction finds: [email protected].

Shrinkage

UnitedHealth Group eliminations - 2026

For the first time in a long time, UnitedHealth Group is getting smaller, even if only marginally. And as the chart above shows, there’s more to the story.

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