House Health Panel Member Kevin Hern Sold UnitedHealth Amid Stock-Trading Ban Push

A new Forbes investigation by Zach Everson draws on Capitol Trades’ analysis of congressional financial disclosures to spotlight a major healthcare stock sale by Rep. Kevin Hern, a key member of the House Ways and Means Health Subcommittee, at a time when lawmakers are actively debating whether members of Congress should be barred from trading individual stocks.

According to a periodic transaction report flagged through Capitol Trades data, the Hern Family Revocable Trust sold between $250,000 and $500,000 worth of UnitedHealth Group (UNH:US) shares on December 23. The filing was submitted to the House Clerk’s Office within the required reporting window and reflects one of the largest UnitedHealth trades disclosed by any lawmaker over the past year.

Hern sits on the Ways and Means Committee’s health subcommittee, which has direct jurisdiction over federal healthcare programs and payment policy. UnitedHealth shares were trading around $325 on the day of the sale and later climbed above $350 before reversing sharply. By Tuesday, the stock had fallen to $282.83, down roughly 13 percent from the sale price, following a sharp sector-wide decline after the Trump administration proposed a modest 0.09 percent average Medicare Advantage payment increase for 2027.

In a statement to Forbes, Hern’s spokesperson said the congressman has no involvement in trades made by the family trust, noting that all transactions are handled by a longtime financial advisor. However, the use of a family trust does not eliminate potential conflict of interest concerns, since members of Congress can still benefit financially and are not required to place assets in blind trusts.

The disclosure arrives as bipartisan momentum builds around banning congressional stock trading altogether. Multiple proposals are now moving through Congress, including the Restore Trust in Congress Act in the Senate and parallel legislation in the House, alongside a separate effort to force a floor vote through a discharge petition.

Capitol Trades data shows that 25 lawmakers have traded UnitedHealth shares over the past year, making it one of the most actively traded healthcare stocks among members of Congress. Hern’s transaction stands out as the largest single UnitedHealth trade disclosed during that period, surpassing trades reported by Reps. Michael McCaul, Tim Moore, and Ro Khanna.