Dear Editor,
The Green Mountain Care Board publishes an annual list of Vermont hospital employees whose annual compensation tops $500,000. The list for 2020 shows a total of 59 hospital execs making more than half a million dollars a year. Fifty-nine. Eleven of them work at Rutland Regional Medical Center. Thirteen work at the University of Vermont Medical Center. Seven work at the Central Vermont Medical Center.
These are the three hospitals that want large increases in the reimbursement rates from commercial health insurers. Those increases would, of course, end up raising premiums those insurers charge to Vermonters already struggling to afford health care.
That this is regarded as acceptable is shameful. Regular people couldn’t afford health care prior to this year. Now the big medical centers are requesting 10% reimbursement increases. Sure, you CEOs can have a 10% reimbursement increase — on condition that you take a 20% pay cut. Let’s see everyone involved sacrifice a little. We’ll all feel great empathy if those with $650,000 annual compensation have to somehow make do with $520,000 annual compensation.
Maybe they can create a GoFundMe drive to restore their compensation, similar to what those who lack health insurance are obliged to do.
Marvin Malek, Berlin
