A state judge in Delaware has dismissed a defamation lawsuit brought against the Guardian by the UnitedHealth Group.
Delaware superior court judge Calvin Scott’s ruling stemmed from a lawsuit that the US’s largest health insurance conglomerate pursued against the Guardian in May 2025 over an investigation by the outlet which reported that UnitedHealth secretly made payments to nursing homes to reduce hospital transfers for residents.
UnitedHealth brought the lawsuit against both the Guardian US and its UK parent.
The Guardian had sought to dismiss the lawsuit, arguing that the healthcare company had failed to state a legally viable claim. Meanwhile, the Guardian in the UK had moved for the case’s dismissal, citing a lack of personal jurisdiction or, alternately, a failure to state a claim.
In a ruling issued on Monday, Scott granted the Guardian’s motion to dismiss. And he dismissed all six defamation claims in the lawsuit.
“The article’s reporting of the bonuses as ‘secret’ or made ‘secretly’ or ‘quietly,’ is substantially true,” Scott wrote in one part of the ruling.
In another part, he added that the Guardian “is not required to publish facts just because United would have preferred more favorable facts”.
Scott added: “The omissions do not render the statements false.”
In a statement, Guardian US’s general counsel, Kai Falkenberg, welcomed Scott’s decision.
“We are delighted that Judge Scott has granted all of the Guardian’s motions to dismiss UnitedHealth’s lawsuit on the merits, a resounding victory for factual reporting and the first amendment” of the US constitution which guarantees press freedom, she said.
“Even after UnitedHealth’s lawsuit was filed, the Guardian did not back down, continuing to publish new detail in our investigation. [Monday’s] decision is a vindication of the Guardian’s deeply sourced, independent reporting, and a rejection of UnitedHealth’s bullying and intimidation tactics.”
As of Tuesday morning, UnitedHealth has not issued a public statement responding to the ruling, which it can appeal.
The Guardian has approached the company for comment.
