11:24 AM EDT, 05/15/2025 (MT Newswires) -- (Updates with company response in the headline and throughout the report)

UnitedHealth Group ( UNH ) responded Wednesday to a Wall Street Journal report about a US Department of Justice criminal investigation linked to the company's Medicare Advantage program.

The company said it has not received any notification from the DOJ and described the Wall Street Journal report, without official attribution, as "deeply irresponsible."

The news outlet said in a report citing people familiar with the matter that the company is facing a criminal investigation by the US Department of Justice over possible Medicare fraud tied to its Medicare Advantage operations.

The probe, led by the DOJ's healthcare fraud unit in New York, has been active since at least mid-2024 and adds to ongoing civil and antitrust inquiries into the company, according to The Wall Street Journal.

A previous civil case against UnitedHealth ( UNH ), related to allegedly unsupported diagnoses, reportedly remains pending before a judge, though a court-appointed special master recommended dismissal.

UnitedHealth ( UNH ) and the DOJ did not immediately respond to MT Newswires' request for comment.

Shares of UnitedHealth ( UNH ) were down 14.5% in recent Thursday trading.

Price: 263.00, Change: -45.01, Percent Change: -14.61