UnitedHealth appoints Madeline Bell to board
Bell's four decades at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia included pediatric nursing, hospital operations and the president and CEO role.
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Form Type
8-K
Rhea-AI Filing Summary
UnitedHealth Group Incorporated appointed Madeline Bell as an independent director, effective November 3, 2026. She has not yet been appointed to a Board committee.
Bell spent four decades at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, beginning as a pediatric staff nurse in 1983. She served as the hospital's chief operating officer from 2007 to 2015 and became president and CEO in 2015; she retired as CEO last month. Her director compensation will follow the company's standard program for non-employee directors. The company is entering its standard indemnification agreement with her, requiring it to indemnify her against certain liabilities that may arise from her director status or service. The company stated that no arrangement with another person led to the appointment and Bell has no direct or indirect material interest in a transaction requiring disclosure under Item 404(a) of Regulation S-K.
8-K Event Classification
2 items: 5.02, 9.01
2 items
Item 5.02
Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers
Governance
Key personnel changes including departures, elections, or appointments of directors and executive officers.
Item 9.01
Financial Statements and Exhibits
Exhibits
Financial statements, pro forma financial information, or exhibit attachments filed with this report.
Key Figures
Appointment effective date: November 3, 2026
Career at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia: Four decades
Chief operating officer tenure: Eight years
+1 more
4 metrics
Appointment effective date
November 3, 2026
Independent director appointment
Career at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
Four decades
Career began as a pediatric staff nurse in 1983
Chief operating officer tenure
Eight years
2007 to 2015
Became president and CEO
2015
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
Key Terms
independent director, indemnification agreement, Item 404(a) of Regulation S-K
3 terms
independent director regulatory
"serve as an independent director of the Company"
An independent director is a member of a company's board of directors who is not involved in the company's day-to-day operations and has no significant relationships with the company that could influence their judgment. Their role is to provide unbiased oversight and ensure the company is managed in the best interests of all shareholders. This helps build trust and confidence among investors by promoting transparency and accountability.
indemnification agreement regulatory
"standard form of indemnification agreement with Ms. Bell"
An indemnification agreement is a contract in which one party promises to cover losses, costs, or legal claims that another party might face, acting like a tailored safety net or private insurance policy. For investors, it matters because such agreements shift potential financial risk away from a company or its officers and onto the indemnifier, which can affect a company’s future liabilities, cash flow and how risky the investment appears during deal-making or litigation.
Item 404(a) of Regulation S-K regulatory
"disclosed pursuant to Item 404(a) of Regulation S-K"
FAQ
AI-generated questions and answers. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.
Who did UNH appoint as an independent director?
UNH appointed Madeline Bell as an independent director effective November 3, 2026.
What is Madeline Bell's UNH director compensation arrangement?
She will be compensated under UnitedHealth Group's standard program for non-employee directors, as amended from time to time. The company is entering its standard form of indemnification agreement with her, which requires the company to indemnify her against certain liabilities that may arise from her status or service as a director.
AI-generated analysis. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
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FORM 8-K
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Current Report
Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of
The Securities Exchange Act of 1934
Date of report (Date of earliest event reported): November 3, 2026
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(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
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(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation) | (Commission File Number) | (I.R.S. Employer Identification No.) | ||||||||||||
| (Address of principal executive offices) | (Zip Code) | (Address of principal executive offices) | (Zip Code) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (800 ) 328-5979
N/A
(Former name or former address, if changed since last report.)
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Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
| Title of each class | Trading Symbol(s) | Name of each exchange on which registered | ||||||||||||
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter).
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐
Item 5.02. Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers.
Appointment of Madeline Bell as independent director
On November 9, 2026, UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (the “Company”) issued a press release announcing the appointment of Madeline Bell to serve as an independent director of the Company, effective November 3, 2026. Ms. Bell has not yet been appointed to any committees of the Company's Board of Directors. A copy of the press release is attached hereto as Exhibit 99.1 and is incorporated herein by reference.
Ms. Bell will receive compensation for her services as a director in accordance with the Company’s standard compensation program for non-employee directors as amended from time to time, the material terms of which are described in the Company’s 2026 proxy statement.
In accordance with the Company’s customary practice, the Company is entering into its standard form of indemnification agreement with Ms. Bell, which requires the Company to indemnify her against certain liabilities that may arise as a result of her status or service as a director. The foregoing description is qualified in its entirety by the full text of the form of Indemnification Agreement, which was filed as Exhibit 10.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed on July 1, 2015.
There are no arrangements or understandings between Ms. Bell and any other person pursuant to which Ms. Bell was appointed to serve on the Board of Directors. Ms. Bell has no direct or indirect material interest in any transaction required to be disclosed pursuant to Item 404(a) of Regulation S-K.
Item 9.01. Financial Statements and Exhibits.
| Exhibit | Description | |||||||||||||
99.1 | Press release dated November 9, 2026 | |||||||||||||
| 104 | Cover Page Interactive Data File (formatted as Inline XBRL). | |||||||||||||
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
Date: November 9, 2026
UNITEDHEALTH GROUP INCORPORATED | ||||||||||||||
| By: | /s/ Kuai H. Leong | |||||||||||||
| Kuai H. Leong | ||||||||||||||
| Senior Deputy General Counsel and Deputy Corporate Secretary | ||||||||||||||
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Madeline Bell Joins UnitedHealth Group Board of Directors
(Nov. 9, 2026) – Madeline S. Bell, former president and CEO of Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), is joining UnitedHealth Group’s (NYSE: UNH) Board of Directors, effective immediately.
Madeline had a distinguished four-decade career at CHOP, where she started as a pediatric staff nurse in 1983. She spent eight years as CHOP’s chief operating officer from 2007 to 2015 before becoming president and CEO in 2015. She retired as CHOP's CEO last month.
Madeline holds a Master of Science degree in organizational dynamics from the University of Pennsylvania and a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing from Villanova University.
“Madeline has devoted her entire career to improving healthcare for children, beginning as a pediatric nurse and ultimately leading one of the nation’s premier children’s hospitals,” said Stephen J. Hemsley, UnitedHealth Group’s CEO and executive board chairman. “Her decades of experience caring for patients, leading clinicians and growing one of the country’s foremost pediatric health systems will bring an important perspective to our Board. We look forward to her leadership as we continue working to improve care and help make the health system work better for everyone."
Madeline currently serves as a board director for Comcast. She previously chaired the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia’s Board of Directors and is a fellow of The College of Physicians of Philadelphia, and the Honorary Consul of Spain. She served on the board of the Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics, Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce Executive Committee and chaired Philadelphia’s CEO Council for Growth.
“I am honored to join UnitedHealth Group’s Board of Directors,” Madeline said. “Having cared for children as a nurse and led a children's hospital, I know how much it matters when care is coordinated, accessible and affordable. I look forward to contributing that experience to the UnitedHealth Group Board.”
About UnitedHealth Group
UnitedHealth Group is a healthcare and well-being company with a mission to help people live healthier lives and help make the health system work better for everyone through two distinct and complementary businesses. Optum delivers care aided by technology and data, empowering people, partners and providers with the guidance and tools they need to achieve better health. UnitedHealthcare offers a full range of health benefits, enabling affordable coverage, simplifying the healthcare experience and delivering access to high-quality care. Visit UnitedHealth Group at www.unitedhealthgroup.com and follow UnitedHealth Group on LinkedIn.
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| Media: | UnitedHealth Group Media | |||||||||||||
| uhgmedia@uhg.com | ||||||||||||||