Insurance giant UnitedHealth Group posted a 5.8 percent for the quarter ended Dec. 31, 2014, which was better than analysts expected, according to a report from The Wall Street Journal.
UnitedHealth reported profit of $1.51 billion for the period ended Dec. 31 compared to $1.43 billion for the same period of the previous year, according to the report.
Analysts estimated UnitedHealth's revenues would be $33.1 billion for the quarter. However, the insurance company topped analysts' predications and posted $33.43 billion in revenues, according to the report.
UnitedHealth "continued to benefit from the growth in premium revenue outpacing medical costs," in the quarter ended Dec. 31, according to the report.
"UnitedHealth, like its fellow health insurers, has sought to contain costs related to medical care, particularly as expensive, high-profile treatments for hepatitis C and cancer enter the market. Meanwhile, the company has benefited from growth in its government-sponsored plans as well as its health-services arm," the report reads.
For 2015, UnitedHealth expects its revenue to be between $140.5 billion and $141.5 billion.
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