The next time you wonder why health care is so expensive, here are the salaries of some health insurance executives: Aetna CEO salary in 2017: $18.7 million; United CEO salary in 2018: $21.5 million; Cigna CEO salary in 2018: $18.9 million.
Anthem made $104 billion in 2019. Cigna made $154 billion, United made $242 billion, Aetna made $69.6 billion.
The total annual health care spending is more than $3.6 trillion annually. Administrative costs make up 73% of that total. Physicians’ salaries: 8%. When your doctor can’t get you the tests/imaging/ procedures/surgery/medication you need, remind yourself that the middle management, CEOs, lobbyists and so on did not swear an oath to put your health above profits. Your doctor did. The doctor that is missing sleep, skipping vacation, missing family events, answering calls on weekends, missing recitals and hockey games.
— Dr. Mathew Cannava
Soldotna
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