Anna Eshoo: “the San Francisco Chronicle recently reported that a Northern California for-profit HMO CEO received more than $4.3…”

“the San Francisco Chronicle recently reported that a Northern California for-profit HMO CEO received more than $4.3 million in salary and bonuses in 1 year, excluding stock options. Foundation Health's CEO made more money than the CEO's of Chevron, Bank of America, or Hewlett-Packard. In the same year, this HMO denied requests from several of its members for a $120,000 experimental bone marrow transplant to treat breast cancer. Only after suing did one of the patients finally receive treatment and beat cancer. This case demonstrates how lopsided, unfair, and sick the entire system is. Paying seven figure salaries while providers duck payment of life-saving treatments cannot be defended. Mr. Speaker, I believe our health care system must be competitive. But it must also be cost efficient. And most importantly, Mr. Speaker, its purpose must be to make Americans healthy--not a few HMO executives wealthy.”