14 hours ago 1

UnitedHealth Group Explores Divestment of Latin American Operations Amidst Financial Pressures

Maham Fatima

Tue, Jun 17, 2025, 2:23 AM 1 min read

UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH) is one of the best stocks to buy for beginners now. On June 10, Reuters reported that UnitedHealth Group is actively considering multiple bids to divest its Latin American operations, a process it has been pursuing since 2022 following losses that exceeded $8 billion in the region. The urgency to sell its subsidiary, Banmedica, which operates in Colombia and Chile, has intensified recently due to various financial pressures the company faces.

UnitedHealth Group Explores Divestment of Latin American Operations Amidst Financial Pressures

A senior healthcare professional giving advice to a patient in a clinic.

UnitedHealth acquired Banmedica in 2018 for $2.8 billion. However, 3 years later, the insurer decided to withdraw from the region due to substantial losses, particularly from its Brazilian operation, Amil, which was acquired a decade prior. Despite Banmedica itself being profitable, it is deemed too small for UnitedHealth’s overall strategic interests. Banmedica’s operations now include 1.7 million health insurance plan members, 7 hospitals, and 47 medical centers, which are down from 2.1 million plan members, 13 hospitals, and 143 medical centers previously.

UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH) is a health care company in the US and internationally. It operates through 4 segments: UnitedHealthcare, Optum Health, Optum Insight, and Optum Rx.

While we acknowledge the potential of UNH as an investment, we believe certain AI stocks offer greater upside potential and carry less downside risk. If you’re looking for an extremely undervalued AI stock that also stands to benefit significantly from Trump-era tariffs and the onshoring trend, see our free report on the best short-term AI stock.