Compensation at the “Big 5” ranged from $10.1 million for Humana’s CEO to more than $66 million for the CEO of United Healthcare in 2015. CEO compensation for Anthem, Aetna, and Cigna also fell within that range. Affordable health care has definitely helped people. But who exactly are we trying to help? I am not convinced it is the children growing up in America today.
I was 12 years old in 1987 when the first physician I knew committed suicide. My father was the seventh physician to join The Doctors Clinic in 1971. I was raised attending summertime backyard picnics at other physicians’ homes and remember most of their families and children. It was a close-knit community of medical providers back then; something that may have prevented more tragic events like this from occurring.
The public should know more about what goes on in the minds and hearts of physicians. Please share this piece and start a “Doctors Do Care” Challenge. If you are a physician, write a story about a patient who changed your life. If you are a patient and a physician has improved your life in some way, please share your story with the same hashtag. #doctorsdocare.
