Healthcare

Healthcare at a glance

Four theses on one page: medtech, life-science tools, leftover pharma and biotech, and US providers. GLP-1 and Vaccines stay on their own pages.
  • CMS says US health spending was $5.3 trillion in 2024, or $15,474 per person and 18.0 percent of GDP. Hospital care was $1,634.7 billion. Retail prescription drugs were $467.0 billion.
  • UnitedHealth 2025 revenue was $447.6 billion and CVS Health was $402.1 billion. HCA, the hospital operator, was $75.6 billion. Payers are not hospitals.
  • Johnson & Johnson 2025 sales were $94.2 billion: Innovative Medicine $60.4 billion and MedTech $33.8 billion. STELARA was an approximate 1,040 basis-point drag on IM operational growth.
  • Intuitive reported about 3.15 million da Vinci procedures in 2025. Instruments and accessories were $6.02 billion. Systems were $2.47 billion. Group revenue was $10.07 billion.
  • Thermo Fisher 2025 revenue was $44.56 billion. Danaher was $24.57 billion, with Life Sciences core sales down 1.5 percent. IQVIA was $16.31 billion.
  • Gilead HIV was $20.8 billion in 2025, including Biktarvy $14.3 billion. Vertex was $12.0 billion, still mostly cystic fibrosis. Those are leftover-pharma prints, not GLP-1 or vaccine prints.
  • GLP-1 and Vaccines stay on their own pages. Dual-home mega-caps stay on this Companies tab so the S&P 500 gap is closed.

Headline numbers

Eight sourced snapshot figures. CMS NHE is calendar 2024. Company figures are the latest reported fiscal year. UNH and CVS are not hospital operators.
US NHE 2024
$5.3T
Grew 7.2 percent. $15,474 per person. 18.0 percent of GDP. Latest CMS historical year, not a 2025 actual.
CMS NHE fact sheet
Hospital care 2024
$1.635T
Grew 8.9 percent to $1,634.7 billion. Physician and clinical services were $1,109.7 billion. Retail Rx was $467.0 billion.
CMS NHE fact sheet
UnitedHealth 2025
$447.6B
Consolidated revenue $447.567 billion, +12 percent. UnitedHealthcare $344.9 billion. Optum $270.6 billion. Dual-homed from Insurance.
UNH 2025 results / 10-K
Johnson & Johnson 2025
$94.2B
Worldwide sales $94.193 billion, +6.0 percent. Innovative Medicine $60.401 billion. MedTech $33.792 billion.
JNJ FY2025 results
HCA 2025
$75.6B
Revenue $75.600 billion. Admissions 2,297,065. Equivalent admissions 4,107,152. Revenue per equivalent admission $18,407.
HCA 10-K / FY2025 results
Thermo Fisher 2025
$44.56B
Revenue $44.556 billion, +4 percent reported and +2 percent organic. Laboratory Products and Biopharma Services $23.984 billion.
TMO FY2025 8-K
da Vinci procedures 2025
3.15M
About 3,153,000 da Vinci procedures, +18 percent. Ion procedures +51 percent. Intuitive revenue $10.065 billion.
ISRG FY2025 earnings
Gilead HIV 2025
$20.8B
HIV product sales $20.752 billion, +6 percent. Biktarvy $14.334 billion. Group revenue $29.443 billion. Not a GLP-1 or vaccine print.
GILD FY2025 results

Where the US health dollar went in 2024

CMS hospital care $1.635 trillion, physician and clinical $1.110 trillion, retail prescription drugs $467 billion. These three lines do not sum to total NHE of $5.3 trillion.

Who paid in 2024

Private health insurance $1.645 trillion, Medicare $1.118 trillion, Medicaid $932 billion, out of pocket $557 billion. CMS projects Medicare to be the fastest major payer through 2034 at 7.7 percent a year.

Four theses, plus two dual-home piles

Payers and PBMs (UNH plus CVS) are an order of magnitude larger than leftover pharma, medtech, tools, HCA, or the national labs. These are sourced company sums, not TAM figures.

The roster

46 public companies. Dual-homes stay. GLP-1 and vaccine product economics stay off this page.
CompanyTickerArchetypeHQLatest sourced yearWhat to watch
AbbottABTMedtechAbbott Park, USCY2025Medical Devices vs Diagnostics COVID hangover
MedtronicMDTMedtechDublin, IE / Minneapolis, USFY26Cardiovascular vs Diabetes carve-out
StrykerSYKMedtechPortage, USCY2025MedSurg and Neuro vs Orthopaedics
Boston ScientificBSXMedtechMarlborough, USCY2025Cardiovascular vs MedSurg
GE HealthCareGEHCMedtechChicago, USCY2025Imaging vs PDx
Intuitive SurgicalISRGMedtechSunnyvale, USCY2025da Vinci procedures vs system placements
Edwards LifesciencesEWMedtechIrvine, USCY2025TAVR vs TMTT after Critical Care sale
Thermo FisherTMOTools (dual-home)Waltham, USCY2025LPBS scale vs Life Sciences Solutions margin
DanaherDHRToolsWashington, USCY2025Biotechnology vs Life Sciences core decline
IQVIAIQVToolsDurham, USCY2025R&DS backlog vs Commercial Solutions
Johnson & JohnsonJNJPharmaNew Brunswick, USCY2025STELARA LOE vs Oncology and MedTech
Bristol Myers SquibbBMYPharmaPrinceton, USCY2025Growth Portfolio vs Legacy (Eliquis, Revlimid)
GileadGILDPharma / biotechFoster City, USCY2025Biktarvy vs Oncology
VertexVRTXPharma / biotechBoston, USCY2025CF franchise vs CASGEVY and JOURNAVX
UnitedHealthUNHProviders (dual-home)Minnetonka, USCY2025Medical care ratio and Optum mix. Insurance page owns the MA thesis.
CVS HealthCVSProviders (dual-home)Woonsocket, USCY2025Aetna benefits vs Health Services vs retail pharmacy
HCA HealthcareHCAProvidersNashville, USCY2025Admissions and managed-care mix
LabcorpLHProvidersBurlington, USCY2025Diagnostics Labs vs Biopharma Laboratory Services
Quest DiagnosticsDGXProvidersSecaucus, USCY2025Diagnostic information services growth
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Healthcare Sector: Companies, KPIs & Market Data | Sterling