FORM 4 Check this box if no longer subject to Section 16. Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. See Instruction 1(b).

UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, D.C. 20549 STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP OF SECURITIES Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, Section 17(a) of the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935 or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940

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1. Name and Address of Reporting Person * WELTERS ANTHONY   2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol UNITEDHEALTH GROUP INC [UNH] 5. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer (Check all applicable) _____ Director _____ 10% Owner __X__ Officer (give title below) _____ Other (specify below) EVP & Pres Publc & Sr Mkts Grp (Last) (First) (Middle) C/O UNITEDHEALTH GROUP INCORPORATED, 9900 BREN ROAD EAST 3. Date of Earliest Transaction (Month/Day/Year) 02/23/2009 (Street) MINNETONKA, MN 55343 4. If Amendment, Date Original Filed(Month/Day/Year) 6. Individual or Joint/Group Filing(Check Applicable Line) _X_ Form filed by One Reporting Person ___ Form filed by More than One Reporting Person (City) (State) (Zip) Table I - Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned

1.Title of Security (Instr. 3) 2. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year) 2A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year) 3. Transaction Code (Instr. 8) 4. Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D) (Instr. 3, 4 and 5) 5. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 3 and 4) 6. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4) 7. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4) Code V Amount (A) or (D) Price Common Stock (1) 02/23/2009   A   38,462 A $ 0 110,707 (2) D

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Table II - Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
(e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)

1. Title of Derivative Security (Instr. 3)

2. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security

3. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year)

3A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year)

4. Transaction Code (Instr. 8)

5. Number of Derivative Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D) (Instr. 3, 4, and 5)

6. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date (Month/Day/Year)

7. Title and Amount of Underlying Securities (Instr. 3 and 4)

8. Price of Derivative Security (Instr. 5)

9. Number of Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 4)

10. Ownership Form of Derivative Security: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4)

11. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4)

Code

V

(A)

(D)

Date Exercisable

Expiration Date

Title

Amount or Number of Shares

Stock Appreciation Rights

$ 29.74

02/23/2009

A

113,122

02/03/2010(3)

02/23/2019

Common Stock

113,122

$ 0

113,122

D

Reporting Owners

Reporting Owner Name / Address	Relationships
	Director	10% Owner	Officer	Other
WELTERS ANTHONY C/O UNITEDHEALTH GROUP INCORPORATED 9900 BREN ROAD EAST MINNETONKA, MN 55343			EVP & Pres Publc & Sr Mkts Grp

Signatures

By: Dannette L. Smith, Attorney-in-Fact For: Anthony Welters		02/24/2009
**Signature of Reporting Person		Date

Explanation of Responses:

*	If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 4(b)(v).
**	Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal Criminal Violations. See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).
(1)	The restricted stock units will vest at a rate of 25% annually on February 3 from the years 2010 through 2013.
(2)	Amount does not include performance-based restricted stock units granted to the executive officer on February 23, 2009, as performance awards not tied to stock price are not derivative securities for purposes of Section 16 under guidance from the staff of the SEC. The number of performance-based restricted stock units that the executive officer will receive will be determined at the end of the 3-year performance period and will be dependent upon the achievement of average EPS growth percentanges and average return-on-equity performance metrics approved by the Compensation and Human Resources Committee. The target number of performance-based restricted stock units is 76,923. Amount does include shares acquired under UnitedHealth Group's Employee Stock Purchase Plan.
(3)	The stock appreciation rights vest at a rate of 25% annually on February 3 from the years 2010 through 2013.

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