"HK" wrote in message
m...
have gone through the roof, and why so many on the right oppose meaningful
reform:

From FierceHealthcare.com:

Ron Williams - Aetna

Total Compensation: $24,300,112

Details: Williams earned $24,300,112 in total compensation for 2008,
with more than half of that ($13,537,365) coming from option awards. He
also received an additional $6,456,630 in stock awards to go along with
his base salary of $1,091,764.

Personal use of a corporate aircraft and vehicle, as well as financial
planning and 401(k) company matches added up to $101,487 for Williams.



H. Edward Hanway - CIGNA

Total Compensation: $12,236,740

Details: Hanway took a significant pay cut from 2007 to 2008, due
mainly to a drop off of more than $11 million in his non-equity incentive
plan compensation. Still, his base salary of $1,142,885 surpasses that of
Aetna's Williams, and is supplemented by just over $3.6 million in option
awards, and just over $820,000 in non-qualified deferred compensation
earnings.

Also, nearly $21,800 in "other compensation" included the use of a
company car with a driver, in-office meals, and emergency assistance
services relating to medical exams.



Angela Braly - WellPoint

Total Compensation: $9,844,212

Details: Braly, like Williams, earned more money in 2008 ($9,844,212)
than in 2007 (9,094,271), increasing her option rewards by nearly $1.5
million, and also receiving a $200,000-plus bump in base salary, from
$922,269 to $1,135,538. Braly's stock awards dropped from $2,160,159 to
$1,750,015 because, according to the SEC, "performance-based restricted
stock units awarded in 2008 were cancelled because our ROE target for 2008
was not met."

Braly's "other compensation" comprised use of a private jet for her
and her family on business trips, just under $10,000 for legal services
relating to her employment agreement and cash credits.



Dale Wolf - Coventry Health Care

Total Compensation: $9,047,469

Details: Wolf is the only CEO on this list who is no longer employed
with his associated health plan; he retired from his position on Jan. 30
of this year after serving in that role since Jan. 1, 2005, and was
replaced by former CEO Allen Wise.

Wolf, whose total compensation dipped quite a bit from 2007
($14,869,823) to 2008 ($9,047,469), was pleased with the direction the
company was headed in at the time of his departure.

"I am proud of what a talented group of people have accomplished over
the past 13 years of my association with the company," Wolf said, "and I
am confident that the fundamentals which are in place today will carry the
company forward to continued success."

Wolf carried a base salary of $965,000 in 2008, and earned just over
$1.9 million in stock awards. His "other compensation," which amounted to
$486,447, included transportation on the company's airplane, a company
match retirement savings plan and a company match 401(k) plan.



Michael Neidorff - Centene

Total Compensation: $8,774,483

Details: Neidorff, who's base salary remained at $1 million, received
increases in both his bonus ($1.25 million, up from $1 million) and his
stock awards ($4.7 million, from $3.98 million) in 2008. According to the
SEC, "Neidorff's agreement was amended twice in the past twelve months;
(1) to eliminate the non-compete and non-solicitation requirements if
there was a ‘hostile change in control' as defined in his agreement and
(2) to add language to the agreement to make it compliant with Internal
Revenue Section 409A."

Neidorff's "other compensation" of just over $418,000 comprised of use
of the company airplane "for all travel," life insurance benefits,
security services, and tax preparation services, among other things.



James Carlson - AMERIGROUP

Total Compensation: $5,292,546

Details: Despite a lawsuit regarding Medicaid fraud that cost the
Illinois plan $225 million, Carlson himself earned roughly $2 million more
than he did in 2007. All aspects of his compensation increased in 2008,
from his base salary (up from $608,000 to just over $761,000) to his
non-equity incentive plan compensation (up to about $2.8 million from
$1.98 million a year ago). Carlson's bonus also grew quite a bit, going
from $225,000 in 2007 to $520,312 in 2008; much of that amount was based
on long term incentive program goals being met.

Carlson's "other compensation," which nearly tripled (going from about
$7,000 to just over $20,000), included his employer 401(k) contribution,
life insurance premiums, an executive health screening, flight services
and a medical insurance stipend.



Michael McCallister - Humana

Total Compensation: $4,764,309

Details: Despite its pick ups of two smaller health plans (OSF Health
Plans of Peoria, IL and Cos/Cariten Healthcare of Knoxville, TN), Humana's
McCallister earned roughly $5.5 million less in 2008 than in 2007. While
his base salary ($1,017,308), option awards ($3,078,897) and "other
compensation" ($668,104) all increased, his non-equity incentive plan
compensation and his nonqualified deferred compensation earnings totaled
zero dollars. The latter represents a discontinuation of the Officers'
Target Retirement Plan, according to the SEC.

McCallister's "other compensation" included personal use of the
company aircraft for him, and sometimes his family; company contributions
to the Supplemental Executive Retirement & Savings Plan and the Humana
Retirement & Savings Plan; a once-a-year physical, financial planning
assistance, and more.



Jay Gellert - Health Net

Total Compensation: $4,425,355

Details: Gellert, whose company is considering selling off divisions
in at least four states, earned nearly $740,000 in additional compensation
for 2008. His overall base salary increased to a little more than $1.2
million from about $1.18 million in 2007, and his stock awards also rose
(from about $1.4 million to more than $1.8 million).

Gellert's "other compensation," which totaled $131,526, included, but
were not limited to, a $53,000 housing allowance, a corporate car and tax
reimbursements of nearly $41,000.



Richard Barasch - Universal American

Total Compensation: $3,503,702

Details: After taking a pay cut from 2006 to 2007, Barasch more than
doubled his total compensation for 2008, jumping up from $1,564,293 in
2007. Barasch's base salary jumped up to $857,851 from $798,340 in 2007;
his stock and option awards also increased, as did his "other
compensation," which reflected a car allowance, relocation benefits and a
matching contribution to his 401(k).

Also of note for Barasch was the fact that his non-equity incentive
plan compensation earnings totaled $1,195,147; in 2007, he did not receive
any money in 2007 for such compensation, but took home $1.1 million in
2006.


Stephen Hemsley - UnitedHealth Group

Total Compensation: $3,241,042

Details: An $895 million class-action lawsuit over stock-option back
dating aside, Hemsley still manages to make the cut for this list at No.
10. The UHG CEO's base salary was $1.3 million in 2008, to go along with a
non-equity incentive plan compensation worth just over $1.8 million and
"other compensation" amounting to slightly more than $119,000.

Hemsley's other compensation was a combination of the company matching
his contributions under the 401(k) plan and the company matching
contributions under his executive savings plan. According to the SEC, "in
May 2006, the amount of Hemsley's supplemental retirement benefit was
frozen based on his current age and average base salary and converted into
a lump sum of $10,703,229." Because of this, "there was no increase in the
benefit payable to Mr. Hemsley under his supplemental retirement benefit"
in 2008.



Ahhh...corporate greed.


How much do these options "cost" the company?