Excerpt: 'The settlement provides UnitedHealth Group with certainty and closure on this lawsuit, avoids potentially costly and protracted litigation and allows us to continue to focus on providing Americans with high-quality, affordable health care solutions.' Separately, UnitedHealth reached an agreement in principle to resolve the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) class action litigation relating to the company's historical stock options practices that was originally filed June 2006, in the U.S. District Court in Minnesota against the company and certain current and former officers and directors.  MORE >>