Still No Questions Asked - Journalists Fail to Challenge Talking Points Used to Justify Million Dollar Plus Executive Compensation at New York Non-Profit Hospitals

ConclusionSadly, the ever rising compensation of top health care managers seems to inspiring less, rather than more skepticism in the media.  No more is it true that  nearly all articles that try to delve into executive compensation at all at least quote some experts who are skeptical of current practices.The Journal News series included no such attempts at balance.  In my humble opinion, while it reported on useful facts, the opinions it contained leaned towards propaganda for managers' current privileged position in health care.  Despite all the blather about how top hospital executives deserve millions of dallars, there are real reasons to be skeptical.  As we discussed here, there is a strong argument that huge executive compensation is more a function of executives' political influence within the organization than their brilliance or the likelihood they are likely to be fickle and jump ship for even bigger pay.  This influence is partially generated by their control over their institutions' marketers, public relations flacks, and lawyers.  It is partially generated by their control over the make up of the boards of trustees who are supposed to exert governance, especially when these boards are subject to conflicts of interest and  are stacked with hired managers of other organizations. While Mr Mooney was indignant that high executive pay may be considered a reason that hospital charges and health care costs are ris...
Source: Health Care Renewal - Category: Health Management Tags: boards of trustees conflicts of interest executive compensation hospital systems hospitals perverse incentives Source Type: blogs