Wrong Way on Cost Control

Media Contacts

BCBS $11Million Bonus and Severance Package

MASSPIRG

Statement from Deirdre Cummings, Legislative Director of the Massachusetts Public Interest Research Group (MASSPIRG) on the $11million bonus and severance package given to Cleve Killingsworth,  the former CEO of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts:

“This compensation package undermines the credibility of insurers when they say they’re serious about bringing down the cost of health care. When insurance companies pay such absurdly high salaries, the public loses faith that we can solve the problem of soaring health care costs. This package, worth $11 million, going to one single person, equals the combined annual cost of health care premiums for almost 900 families in the state. The rising cost of health care is on the minds of just about every consumer in our state, and this disclosure reminds us that we have plenty of stones left to overturn in the effort to control costs.”