Healthcare's top executive salaries increase with complexity of system

As reform drives healthcare systems to get bigger and more complex, salaries of top executives are growing with them. Total compensation for top healthcare officials in Northern Colorado over the last four years exceeded the national average, according to an analysis of documents filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Healthcare consultants say that's the price hospitals and health systems must pay to attract and retain top talent during turbulent times for the industry. Critics counter that salaries should be viewed through the lens of the 1.5 million uninsured and underinsured Coloradans who can't afford healthcare.