Top 10 Largest Healthcare Companies in the USA

By Ankita Neogi

Updated Sep 27, 2026Published Jun 3, 202313 min read

Note (September 2026): Several facts in the original list were wrong or out of date, including McKesson’s founding date and headquarters, AmerisourceBergen’s founding and revenue, Cardinal Health’s sales figure, and the ownership of Aetna, Express Scripts and Walgreens Boots Alliance; they have been corrected below.

The largest healthcare companies in the USA by revenue are UnitedHealth Group, CVS Health, McKesson and Cencora, which ranked No. 3, No. 6, No. 8 and No. 10 on the 2026 Fortune 500. Other giants include The Cigna Group, Cardinal Health and Elevance Health (formerly Anthem). Aetna and Express Scripts are now owned by CVS Health and Cigna.

Note: this list was first compiled in 2023. Company names, ownership, headquarters and revenue figures were re-checked in September 2026 against the Fortune 500 and company profiles; market values change daily, so confirm current details with each company before you rely on them. Anthem, named below, changed its company name to Elevance Health in June 2022.

In the United States, the healthcare sector is expanding and is home to a wide variety of businesses. Pharmaceutical corporations, which conduct drug research and development, and insurance companies, which pay medical bills, are some of the biggest businesses in the healthcare industry.

Healthcare Companies In USA – List of Top Healthcare Companies In USA

Additionally, there are healthcare facilities such as hospitals, clinics, and others that offer direct care to patients. The provision of patient care is the goal of a diverse range of enterprises engaged in the complicated industry of healthcare.

Healthcare providers are constantly seeking for methods to raise the standard of the treatment they give and increase the effectiveness of the process. The healthcare sector has seen a trend toward consolidation in recent years, with bigger businesses acquiring smaller ones. The result has been a decline in the types of companies in the healthcare industry. Here are ten of the largest healthcare companies in the US, with each company’s current name, owner and headquarters as of September 2026.

Anthem

Anthem, now Elevance Health, Inc. (NYSE: ELV), is a health insurance company headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana; it pays for care delivered by a network of providers rather than treating patients itself. Anthem, one of the biggest healthcare organizations in the country, provides high-quality, accessible, and reasonably priced healthcare. Anthem offers a range of care alternatives, such as primary care, specialist care, hospital care, and more, by collaborating with a network of providers. To fulfill the needs of its members, Anthem also provides a range of plans, such as individual, family, Medicare, and employer-sponsored policies. Anthem is dedicated to giving its customers the care they require and merit.

Elevance Health is one of the largest healthcare organizations in the United States, with revenue of about $197.6 billion in 2025 and about 104,200 employees in 2024. Before it was renamed Anthem, Inc. in December 2014, the company was known as WellPoint, Inc., and it adopted the Elevance Health name on June 28, 2022. Despite the renames, the company still competes in one of the best-known and most competitive parts of US healthcare, health insurance.

Johnson and Johnson

One of the healthcare companies in the USA is Johnson & Johnson. The business’s headquarters are in New Brunswick, New Jersey, where it was established in 1886. The business now concentrates on two segments: Innovative Medicine (prescription medicines and vaccines, 64% of 2025 revenue) and MedTech (medical devices, 36%). Consumer brands such as Band-Aid, Tylenol, Johnson’s Baby and Neutrogena, once sold by Johnson & Johnson, now belong to Kenvue, the consumer health company J&J separated in 2023; Kimberly-Clark announced an agreement to acquire Kenvue on November 3, 2025.

Johnson & Johnson reported revenue of about $94.2 billion and about 138,200 employees in 2025, and it ranks No. 42 on the 2026 Fortune 500. Its stock market value changes daily, so check a current quote rather than relying on an older figure. Johnson & Johnson is a healthcare company as well as one of the medical companies in the United States. The business operates in more than 60 nations, and it sells its goods in more than 175 nations.

Aetna

Aetna is a healthcare organization that provides a range of services and products related to health insurance. The products offered by Aetna include dental plans, vision programs, and health insurance. Aetna also provides a range of health insurance products and services for people, families, and businesses. Products and services from Aetna can be obtained through a number of different channels, such as the Aetna website, healthcare providers, and insurance brokers. Hartford, Connecticut serves as the company’s main office.

One of the first healthcare companies in the United States, Aetna was established in 1853. Aetna was once a Fortune 500 company listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker AET, but CVS Health completed its roughly $69 billion acquisition of Aetna on November 28, 2018, the AET shares were delisted, and Aetna now operates as a CVS Health subsidiary. After being established, the business set out to serve all people in good health.

Express Scripts Holdings

Express Scripts Holdings is one of the biggest healthcare organizations in the United States, and healthcare is one of the country’s largest sectors. Express Scripts Holdings offers its customers a variety of services, such as specialty pharmacy services, clinical and medical services, and pharmacy benefit administration.

The business has operations in all 50 states and serves both commercial and government clients. Express Scripts was founded in 1986 and is headquartered in St. Louis County, Missouri; this article originally listed further offices in Chicago, Illinois; Raleigh, North Carolina; Nashville, Tennessee; and San Mateo, California. Express Scripts reported about 26,600 employees in 2017, its last full year as a public company. Since December 20, 2018, it has been part of The Cigna Group, where it sits inside the Evernorth Health Services unit created in 2020.

Walgreens Boots Alliance

Walgreens Boots Alliance, formed on December 31, 2014 and headquartered in Deerfield, Illinois, was one of the largest US healthcare companies by revenue, with about $147.7 billion in fiscal 2024; it was never the largest healthcare provider in the world. On August 28, 2025, private equity firm Sycamore Partners completed a take-private deal valued at about $10 billion, and the business was split into separate companies: Walgreens, The Boots Group, VillageMD, CareCentrix and Shields Health Solutions.

One of the most significant sectors in the American economy is healthcare, and Walgreens Boots Alliance is one of the biggest healthcare organizations in the nation. Walgreens Boots Alliance reported 12,712 locations in 2024; after the split, Walgreens itself operates about 8,000 locations as a private standalone company, led by CEO Mike Motz, and Boots is now a separate company, The Boots Group.

Amerisource Bergen

The healthcare and pharmaceutical firm AmerisourceBergen was formed on August 28, 2001, through the merger of AmeriSource and Bergen Brunswig, and it renamed itself Cencora (NYSE: COR) on August 30, 2023; the company is headquartered in Conshohocken, Pennsylvania. Specialty pharmacies, pharmaceutical distribution, and global animal health are the three areas in which the business is active. Cencora is one of the largest pharmaceutical distributors in the United States, handling roughly 20% of all pharmaceuticals distributed in the country, and it ranked No. 10 on the 2026 Fortune 500.

Cencora reported revenue of about $321.3 billion in fiscal 2025 and about 51,000 employees; the $153 billion revenue figure this article previously gave for 2020 was too low, because the company’s revenue was already above $179 billion at that time. Millions of people utilize AmerisourceBergen’s goods and services every day, making it one of the world’s leading healthcare organizations.

Cencora, formerly AmerisourceBergen, is one of the main US providers of pharmaceutical sourcing and distribution services.

Cardinal Health

One of the biggest healthcare organizations in the United States, Cardinal Health (NYSE: CAH) had about 48,400 employees according to the 2025 Fortune 500 data, not the 100,000 this article previously stated. Pharmacies, Hospitals, and governmental organizations are just a few of the many clients the business serves with a broad range of goods and services.

A publicly traded business, Cardinal Health has its shares listed on the New York Stock Exchange. Cardinal Health’s stock market value changes daily, so check a current quote rather than a fixed figure. With its corporate headquarters in Dublin, Ohio, Cardinal Health was established in 1971.

Cardinal Health is one of the largest US drug wholesalers, with revenue of about $226.8 billion in fiscal 2024; the $1.94 billion sales figure this article previously gave was far too low. People’s perceptions of it are the reason it is what it is.

McKesson

McKesson is a healthcare organization that distributes pharmaceuticals and medical supplies and offers technology solutions. The company traces its roots to a New York City drug business started by Charles M. Olcott in 1828, which took the Olcott, McKesson & Co. name in 1833. It is one of the most prominent healthcare organizations in the country, with revenue of about $214.3 billion in fiscal 2019 and about $359.1 billion in fiscal 2025. McKesson has narrowed its international footprint, including the sale of its UK operations to Aurelius Group in April 2022.

Pharmaceuticals, medical equipment, hospital supplies, and analytical tools are among the company’s goods and services. In order to assist healthcare practitioners in providing better patient care, McKesson also offers software and services.

McKesson and the general public might acquire a bigger percentage of health care services in the USA thanks to the growing growth of medication distributors. McKesson was not founded in 2014, and it no longer has its headquarters in San Francisco: the company moved its headquarters to Irving, Texas, effective April 1, 2019.

UnitedHealth Group

One of the biggest healthcare companies in the world is UnitedHealth Group. They provide a wide range of services, including technology, analytics, and insurance. UnitedHealth Group traces its roots to 1974 (as Charter Med) and took the UnitedHealthcare name in 1977, so it has operated for nearly five decades; it ranked No. 3 on the 2026 Fortune 500, with revenue of about $447.6 billion in 2025. The UnitedHealth Group is dedicated to enhancing the health and well-being of its clients and the communities in which they operate.

They collaborate with physicians, medical facilities, and other healthcare providers to develop cutting-edge solutions that improve the lives of patients. A multifaceted firm with a global presence, UnitedHealth Group.

CVS Health

Because the sector has turned its emphasis to preventative care in recent years, healthcare businesses have been flourishing. CVS Health is one of the biggest healthcare organizations in the country. CVS Health was founded in 1963 in Lowell, Massachusetts, and is headquartered in Woonsocket, Rhode Island.

CVS Health had approximately 300,000 employees and 9,135 stores in 2024, after announcing in November 2021 a plan to close about 900 stores over three years. The total revenue for CVS Health in 2017 was $184.8 billion. Prescription medications, retail medical clinics, and MinuteClinics are just a few of the many services that the business provides.

Largest Healthcare Companies in the USA at a Glance

The table below shows the current status of every company in this list as of September 2026. Revenue figures carry their year because each company reports on its own fiscal calendar; the fiscal 2024 figures come from the 2025 Fortune 500 list.

All ten companies in this list are headquartered in the United States. Two of them, Aetna and Express Scripts, are no longer separate companies, so a ranking of independent healthcare companies today would replace them with their parents or with other large groups listed below.

What Changed Since This List Was First Published?

US healthcare has consolidated heavily, and several names in the original 2023 list have changed hands or changed names.

• Anthem to Elevance Health (June 28, 2022): the insurer formerly called WellPoint and then Anthem, Inc. now trades as Elevance Health.
• Aetna joined CVS Health (November 28, 2018): CVS Health completed a roughly $69 billion acquisition, and Aetna’s AET shares were delisted.
• Express Scripts joined Cigna (December 20, 2018): the pharmacy benefit manager became part of Cigna, and in September 2020 it was grouped into Cigna’s Evernorth Health Services unit with Accredo and eviCore.
• Johnson & Johnson separated Kenvue (2023): the consumer health business, with brands such as Tylenol, Band-Aid, Neutrogena and Listerine, went public in May 2023 and was fully separated in July 2023. Kimberly-Clark announced a deal to buy Kenvue on November 3, 2025, with completion expected around the second half of 2026.
• AmerisourceBergen to Cencora (August 30, 2023): the drug distributor changed its name and began trading under the ticker COR.
• Walgreens Boots Alliance went private (August 28, 2025): Sycamore Partners completed a take-private deal with an equity value of about $10 billion and split the group into Walgreens, The Boots Group, VillageMD, CareCentrix and Shields Health Solutions.
• McKesson moved to Texas (April 1, 2019): the company relocated its headquarters from San Francisco to Irving, Texas, and in May 2025 announced plans to spin off its medical-surgical supplies unit into an independent company. Check McKesson’s investor relations page for the current status of that separation.
• UnitedHealth Group leadership and scrutiny (2025): Stephen J. Hemsley serves as chairman and CEO, and in July 2025 the company confirmed it was under criminal and civil federal investigation over its Medicare practices.

Other Large US Healthcare Companies Worth Knowing

Several US healthcare companies that are not in the original list are larger than some of the entries above. According to the 2025 Fortune 500 (mostly fiscal 2024 revenue), they include:

The Cigna Group reported revenue of about $274.9 billion in 2025 and about 67,700 employees. HCA Healthcare is the only company in this group whose main business is running hospitals.

How Are the Largest Healthcare Companies Ranked?

Most lists of the largest healthcare companies in the USA, including the Fortune 500, rank companies by annual revenue. That method favors insurers, pharmacy chains and drug wholesalers, whose revenue includes the medicines and services they pay for or pass through. A revenue ranking is not a ranking of profit, market value, quality of care or patient outcomes.

The healthcare companies in this list fall into five broad types:

• Health insurers and managed care: UnitedHealth Group, Elevance Health, Aetna, Cigna, Centene and Humana. For a closer look at insurers, see this guide to the top health insurance companies in the USA.
• Pharmacy and pharmacy benefit management: CVS Health, Walgreens and Express Scripts.
• Drug and medical-supply wholesalers: McKesson, Cencora and Cardinal Health.
• Pharmaceutical and medical technology makers: Johnson & Johnson. Related lists cover the top pharmaceutical companies in the USA and the top biotech companies in the USA.
• Hospital operators: HCA Healthcare.

Rankings by market value move every trading day, and rankings by employees favor labor-heavy businesses such as pharmacies and hospitals. When comparing sources, check which measure and which fiscal year each list uses.

How to Use This List

• Job seekers: use the current company names (Elevance Health, Cencora, The Cigna Group) when searching for openings, since the old names are no longer the corporate names.
• Patients and plan members: Aetna still operates under its own name, but as a subsidiary of CVS Health; compare coverage using the plan documents, not the parent company’s size. Background on how insurers compare is in this overview of the largest insurance companies in the US and in this guide to international health insurance companies.
• Researchers and students: cite revenue with its fiscal year and source, because company fiscal years end at different times, so a fiscal-year figure (FY) is not always comparable with a calendar-year figure.

Written byAnkita Neogi

Ankita Neogi has published 791 articles on Justwebworld since 2020, mostly covering Food, Mind and People.

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