Why is health care out of reach for American families? Our life expectancy is higher than ever before thanks to the wonderful advances in technology. I am thankful for great health care providers and accept appropriate increases in health care overheads. However, I cannot accept the suggestion that this is why the cost of medical insurance moves further and further out of reach for more and more Americans.
Insurance premiums take a jump and so does the company CEO's salary since compensation is based on the company's earnings. United Health Group, the top health insurance company's CEO, tops the pay scale in America at over $94 million in total compensation in 2010. His compensation in 2008 was a little over $13 million. There is a long list of insurance company CEOs who received comparable compensation.
I believe in the concept of capitalism but is it really that complicated to see that greed has overshadowed the greater good in American health care. I would like to ask Mr. CEO what advice he could give a family struggling to pay for health care, because his great expertise is in the health care industry and finance.
PEGGY FLINT, Kennewick
