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Loan receivables carrying value Loan receivables carrying value Loan receivables carrying value Other assets Other Assets, Noncurrent Document Type Document Type Debt Securities, Held-to-Maturity, Fair Value, Maturity, Allocated and Single Maturity Date, after Year 10 Debt Securities, Held-to-Maturity, Fair Value, Maturity, Allocated and Single Maturity Date, after Year 10 Restructuring and Other Actions Restructuring and Other Actions Restructuring and Other Actions Cash paid for acquisitions and other transactions, net of cash assumed Payments to Acquire Businesses, Net of Cash Acquired Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items] Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items] Fair Value as of Grant Date Award Grant Date Fair Value Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value Debt Securities, Available-for-Sale, Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value [Table Text 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Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss Earnings before income taxes Earnings before income taxes Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations before Income Taxes, Noncontrolling Interest Insider Trading Policies and Procedures Not Adopted Insider Trading Policies and Procedures Not Adopted [Text Block] Commitments and contingencies (Note 7) Commitments and Contingencies Total revenues Total revenues Revenues Changed Peer Group, Footnote Changed Peer Group, Footnote [Text Block] Accounts payable and other liabilities Increase (Decrease) in Accounts Payable and Accrued Liabilities Forgone Recovery due to Expense of Enforcement, Amount Forgone Recovery due to Expense of Enforcement, Amount Executive Category: Executive Category [Axis] Liabilities, redeemable noncontrolling interests and equity Liabilities and Equity [Abstract] Financial Assets and Liabilities, Measured at Fair Value Recurring Basis [Table Text Block] Schedule of Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Table Text Block] All Award Types Award Type [Domain] Optum Total Optum [Member] total [Member] Non-PEO NEO Average Compensation Actually Paid Amount Non-PEO NEO Average Compensation Actually Paid Amount Fair Value [Text Block] Fair Value Disclosures [Text Block] Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) [Member] Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member] Reclassification adjustment for translation gains included in net earnings Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Foreign Currency Transaction and Translation Reclassification Adjustment from AOCI, Realized upon Sale or Liquidation, Net of Tax PEO Name PEO Name Total medical payments Liability for Unpaid Claims and Claims Adjustment Expense, Claims Paid Equity Securities, FV-NI and without Readily Determinable Fair Value Equity Securities, FV-NI and without Readily Determinable Fair Value Stock Price or TSR Estimation Method Stock Price or TSR Estimation Method [Text Block] Entity Tax Identification Number Entity Tax Identification Number Revenue [Policy Text Block] Revenue [Policy Text Block] Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period Cash and cash equivalents, end of period Cash, Cash Equivalent, Restricted Cash, and Restricted Cash Equivalent, Continuing Operation United Health Foundation contribution United Health Foundation contribution [Member] United Health Foundation contribution Entity Incorporation, State or Country Code Entity Incorporation, State or Country Code Aggregate Erroneous Compensation Not Yet Determined Aggregate Erroneous Compensation Not Yet Determined [Text Block] Contingencies, Nature [Axis] Consideration [Axis] Consideration Material Terms of Trading Arrangement Material Terms of Trading Arrangement [Text Block] Non-NEOs Non-NEOs [Member] Vesting Date Fair Value of Equity Awards Granted and Vested in Covered Year Vesting Date Fair Value of Equity Awards Granted and Vested in Covered Year [Member] Comprehensive income Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax, Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest Debt Instrument [Axis] Debt Instrument [Axis] Measurement Frequency [Domain] Measurement Frequency [Domain] Subsequent Event [Table] Subsequent Event [Table] Share-based compensation Share-Based Payment Arrangement, Noncash Expense Cash dividends paid on common shares Dividends, Cash Customer [Domain] Customer [Domain] Long-Term Debt, Type [Domain] Long-Term Debt, Type [Domain] Due after five years through ten years, Amortized Cost Debt Securities, Available-for-Sale, Amortized Cost, Maturity, Allocated and Single Maturity Date, after Year 5 Through 10 Basic Earnings Per Share, Basic Common share repurchases Payments for Repurchase of Common Stock Total current assets Assets, Current Insider Trading Arrangements [Line Items] Long-term debt, less current maturities Long-Term Debt, Excluding Current Maturities Award Type Award Type [Axis] Named Executive Officers, Footnote Named Executive Officers, Footnote [Text Block] Accounts receivable, net Accounts Receivable, after Allowance for Credit Loss, Current Accounts Receivable, after Allowance for Credit Loss, Current Retained earnings Retained Earnings (Accumulated Deficit) Product and Service [Axis] Product and Service [Axis] Equity Securities, FV-NI Equity Securities, FV-NI Aggregate Change in Present Value of Accumulated Benefit for All Pension Plans Reported in Summary Compensation Table Aggregate Change in Present Value of Accumulated Benefit for All Pension Plans Reported in Summary Compensation Table [Member] Awards Close in Time to MNPI Disclosures Awards Close in Time to MNPI Disclosures [Table] Common Stock [Member] Common Stock [Member] Debt Securities, Available-for-sale Debt Securities, Available-for-Sale Business Combination Payable [Member] Consideration Payable [Member] Consideration Payable Compensation Actually Paid vs. Company Selected Measure Compensation Actually Paid vs. Company Selected Measure [Text Block] Cover [Abstract] Loss contract reserves Loss contract reserves [Member] Loss contract reserves Disposition Dispositions [Member] Dispositions Insurance [Abstract] Insurance [Abstract] Medical costs payable Disposal Group Medical Costs Payable Disposal Group Medical Costs Payable Short-Duration Insurance and Deposit Contracts Short-Duration Insurance and Deposit Contracts [Text Block] Equity Awards Adjustments Equity Awards Adjustments [Member] Total liabilities, redeemable noncontrolling interests and equity Liabilities and Equity Employee Stock Option Share-Based Payment Arrangement, Option [Member] Short-term borrowings and current maturities of long-term debt Debt, Current Segment Reporting, Entity-Wide Information Not Provided as Part of Reportable Segment, Geographical Area, Revenue and Long-Lived Asset [Table] Segment Reporting, Entity-Wide Information Not Provided as Part of Reportable Segment, Geographical Area, Revenue and Long-Lived Asset [Table] Fair Value [Line Items] Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items] Nonredeemable noncontrolling interests Equity, Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest Segments [Axis] Segments [Axis] Additional 402(v) Disclosure Additional 402(v) Disclosure [Text Block] Tabular List, Table Tabular List [Table Text Block] Repayments of care provider loans - cyberattack Repayments of care provider loans - cyberattack Repayments of care provider loans - cyberattack Additional paid-in capital Additional Paid in Capital Short-Term and Long-Term Investments [Table Text Block] Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Investments [Table Text Block] Name Awards Close in Time to MNPI Disclosures, Individual Name Repayments and maturities of loans Repayments and maturities of loans Repayments and maturities of loans Purchases of investments Payments to Acquire Investments Debt Securities, Held-to-Maturity, Amortized Cost, Maturity, Allocated and Single Maturity Date, after Year 5 Through 10 Debt Securities, Held-to-Maturity, Amortized Cost, after Allowance for Credit Loss, Maturity, Allocated and Single Maturity Date, after Year 5 through 10 Year-end Fair Value of Equity Awards Granted in Covered Year that are Outstanding and Unvested Year-end Fair Value of Equity Awards Granted in Covered Year that are Outstanding and Unvested [Member] Amount collected in 2026 related to receivables sold in 2025 Receivables financing facility amount collected in 2026 related to receivables sold in 2025 Receivables financing facility amount collected in 2026 related to receivables sold in 2025 Preferred stock, shares authorized Preferred Stock, Shares Authorized Preferred stock, $0.001 par value - 10 shares authorized; no shares issued or outstanding Preferred Stock, Value, Issued Adjustment to Compensation: Adjustment to Compensation [Axis] Disposal Group, Including Discontinued Operation, Foreign Currency Translation Gains (Losses) Disposal Group, Including Discontinued Operation, Foreign Currency Translation Gains (Losses) Class of Stock [Domain] Class of Stock [Domain] Rule 10b5-1 Arrangement Terminated Rule 10b5-1 Arrangement Terminated [Flag] Aggregate Erroneous Compensation Amount Aggregate Erroneous Compensation Amount Statement of Cash Flows [Abstract] Statement of Cash Flows [Abstract] Other Commitment Other Commitment Aggregate Available Trading Arrangement, Securities Aggregate Available Amount Assets, Fair Value Disclosure Assets, Fair Value Disclosure Investment, Policy [Policy Text Block] Investment, Policy [Policy Text Block] Discontinued Operations and Disposal Groups [Abstract] Name Measure Name Pay vs Performance Disclosure [Line Items] Fair Value Hierarchy and NAV [Domain] Fair Value Hierarchy and NAV [Domain] Fair Value Hierarchy and NAV [Domain] Other, net Other Noncash Income (Expense) Debt Instrument [Line Items] Debt Instrument [Line Items] Pay vs Performance Disclosure Pay vs Performance Disclosure [Table] Business Combination, Consideration Transferred Business Combination, Consideration Transferred Additional Paid-In Capital [Member] Additional Paid-in Capital [Member] Entity Filer Category Entity Filer Category Total, Fair Value Debt Securities, Available-for-Sale, Unrealized Loss Position Short-term investments Short-Term Investments Gain on disposition of business Gain on disposition of business Gain on disposition of business Name Trading Arrangement, Individual Name Cash and cash equivalents Cash and Cash Equivalent Company Selected Measure Amount Company Selected Measure Amount Subsequent Event, Description Subsequent Event, Description Net earnings Net earnings Net earnings Net Income (Loss), Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest Other Businesses, Held-for-Sale, Not Discontinued Operations Other Businesses, Held-for-Sale, Not Discontinued Operations [Member] Other Businesses, Held-for-Sale, Not Discontinued Operations Forward Share Repurchase Contracts - Liability Amount Forward Share Repurchase Contracts - Liability Amount Forward Share Repurchase Contracts - Liability Amount Current assets: Assets, Current [Abstract] Non-PEO NEO Non-PEO NEO [Member] Entity Address, Address Line One Entity Address, Address Line One Provision for income taxes Income Tax Expense (Benefit) Net Earnings, Including Portion Attributable to Nonredeemable Noncontrolling Interest Net Income (Loss), Including Portion Attributable to Nonredeemable Noncontrolling Interest Cost of products sold Cost of Product and Service Sold Award Timing Method Award Timing Method [Text Block] Contingencies, Nature [Domain] Loss Contingency, Nature [Domain] Net increase in cash and cash equivalents Cash, Cash Equivalent, Restricted Cash, and Restricted Cash Equivalent, Period Increase (Decrease), Including Exchange Rate Effect and Discontinued Operation Other Commitments, Description Other Commitments, Description Forward Share Repurchase Contracts - Counterparty Purchase Average Price Forward Share Repurchase Contracts - Counterparty Purchase Average Price Forward Share Repurchase Contracts - Counterparty Purchase Average Price Forgone Recovery, Explanation of Impracticability Forgone Recovery, Explanation of Impracticability [Text Block] Net earnings attributable to UnitedHealth Group common shareholders Net earnings Net Income (Loss) Attributable to Parent Long-Term Debt, Type [Axis] Long-Term Debt, Type [Axis] Erroneous Compensation Analysis Erroneous Compensation Analysis [Text Block] Goodwill Disposal Group, Including Discontinued Operation, Goodwill Statement [Table] Statement [Table] Restatement Determination Date: Restatement Determination Date [Axis] Receivables sold under receivables financing facility Transfer of Financial Assets Accounted for as Sales, Cash Proceeds Received for Assets Derecognized, Amount Debt Securities, Available-for-Sale and Held-to-Maturity, Cumulative Unrecognized Gain Debt Securities, Available-for-Sale and Held-to-Maturity, Cumulative Unrecognized Gain Revenues: Revenues [Abstract] Basis of Presentation and Significant Accounting Policies [Text Block] Basis of Presentation and Significant Accounting Policies [Text Block] Pension Benefits Adjustments, Footnote Pension Benefits Adjustments, Footnote [Text Block] Debt Securities, Held-to-Maturity, Amortized Cost, Maturity, Allocated and Single Maturity Date, after Year 10 Debt Securities, Held-to-Maturity, Amortized Cost, after Allowance for Credit Loss, Maturity, Allocated and Single Maturity Date, after Year 10