US health insurers report billions in first quarter as small providers face stress

UnitedHealth Group, reported $4.9bn in profits in the first quarter of 2021 while CVS Health reported $2.2bn

US health insurance companies beat analyst expectations and reported billions in profits in the first quarter of 2021, after making a windfall in the first year of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The insurers' success comes as small healthcare providers face unprecedented financial stress and millions of Americans struggle to cover health costs. The large profits reaped by the insurance firms are also likely to increase criticism of the US healthcare sector.