UnitedHealth Group Inc. on Tuesday was the first of the bighealth insurers to report fourth-quarter earnings, and it largelydemurred on the industry's burning question: What does Donald Trumpmean for health care?

Related: UnitedHealth subsidary abandons ACAexchange

CEO Stephen Hemsley emphasized that the company has "no bettersense" than anybody else about what might happen to the AffordableCare Act.

Though it may deny extra insight, the company seems to have madebetter preparations. Its profit beat analysts' expectations, helpedby an early pullback from the ACA's individual exchange markets and a pushfor diversification. The insurer looks better positioned thanmany rivals for whatever might come.

The highlight of the quarter was the outperformance of thecompany's Optum unit, which does everything from managingprescription drug benefits to providing urgent care.

Its operating earnings gained 18 percent in the fourth quarterand accounted for the majority of the company's overall operatingprofit. The only other time that happened was in the fourth quarterof 2015, when the insurance business took a large charge inanticipation of Obamacare-related losses.

Related: Trump: 5 things employers are wonderingabout

Optum may not give up that position. UnitedHealth is doublingdown on the business with its $3.2 billion purchase of SurgicalCare Affiliates, which could bolster the unit's margins and revenueand will give it a presence in the growing outpatient surgerymarket. Other large insurers derive a greater portion of theirrevenue and profit from insurance alone. Optum's diversificationand growth prospects are even more valuable in the face ofpotential Trump-related disruption to the industry.

While other big insurers were relatively slow topull back from the ACA's individual insurance exchanges astheir losses mounted, UnitedHealth started taking steps to limitits losses in late 2015 and announced a near-total exit in April2016. That's paying dividends.

The company does not expect to lose money on the exchanges in2017 after suffering large losses last year.Its withdrawal is helping push down its medical lossratio, an important metric that tracks the percentage of premiumsan insurance company spends on health care. A higher ratio meanslower profits.

The company's quick decision-making should both boostperformance this year and help limit exposure to the ultimatefate of the ACA.

The overall focus of the company's insurance operation shouldalso be stabilizing. Optum may be the star, but the insurancebusiness posted a 13 percent gain in both revenue and operatingprofit in 2016.

UnitedHealth has concentrated on increasing its share ofenrollment in privately administered Medicare plans, adding 625,000members in 2016 without any acquisitions.

Some combination of the GOP's traditional fondness forprivatization and Trump's pledge to mostly leave Medicare aloneshould help that effort continue to pay off. The company isalso the country's biggest provider of insurance to employers,which should also be relatively safe in the event of an ACArepeal.

Medicaid may see greater disruption given that it was expandedunder the ACA. The fact that it's a smaller piece of the pie forUnitedHealth may come as something of a relief.

It's tough to plan for something as unpredictable as a Trumppresidency. But whether it's by intent, luck, or a bit of both,UnitedHealth appears set to weather it better than most.

This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion ofBloomberg LP and its owners.

Copyright 2018 Bloomberg. All rightsreserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten,or redistributed.