It's Good to Be in Healthcare

This is unsustainable. More and more, middle class Americans are feeling the pinch of rising health insurance premiums in an era of stagnant wages. So far, public scorn and blame has been directed almost entirely at the health insurance industry. That will change, however, as more people look for explanations and scapegoats. The mainstream media will write more stories about compensation for senior executives at hospitals and health systems. Even, doctors—consistently among the most trusted professionals in the United States—may soon find their compensation on the public radar.

Will the criticism be fair? Given the rage out there in the public, it almost doesn't matter. Healthcare is as much an emotional issue as it is an economic issue for many Americans. That was made clear during the healthcare reform debate over the last two years when town hall meetings devolved into screeching matches.

So, as healthcare costs continue to climb, brace yourself for renewed public interest in C-Suite salaries. A lot of people are figuring out what we already know: it's good to be in healthcare.

 
*Compensation Data Healthcare 2010/2011 contains data on over 200 industry-specific job titles and more than 250 benchmark titles ranging from entry-level to top executives. In 2010, Compdata Surveys received data from nearly 1,200 healthcare organizations across the country, reporting on 5,400 locations, effective Jan. 1, 2010.