UnitedHealth’s Optum Rx Says Profits Won’t Depend on Drug Prices

UnitedHealth Group Inc. said it will move away from having profits in its pharmacy benefits unit linked to the list prices of medications, the latest shift to address longstanding criticisms of its business model.

Optum is UnitedHealth’s services arm. UnitedHealth’s Optum Rx unit helps determine which drugs are covered by health insurance plans, including UnitedHealthcare’s and others, and what prices patients must pay to access them. The company handled about 1.7 billion prescriptions last year.

Optum Rx plans to shift to what a top executive called a more transparent fee structure that gives clients clarity into the money it gets ...