Aetna CEO @mtbert Sees Salary Triple (Well, Quadruple); Company Plans To Spit On ObamaCare Regs

The same CEO who pledged to make Americans 'suffer' during the fiscal cliff drama, lives in a mansion on a mountain with a hot tub, and is spitting in the face of our President and democracy by openly defying the most critical ACA regulations in 2014, was rewarded last year for his immoral and unethical behavior with a salary that tripled -- or quadrupled, depending how you count it. If you can stomach the details:

The CEO of Aetna Inc., Mark T. Bertolini, had a 2012 pay package that more than tripled — nearly quadrupled — his compensation the year before, according to documents filed Friday with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

Bertolini was compensated a total of $36.36 million last year, not including $11.1 million in stock awards which vest later and are based on the company's performance.

Of course, Aetna's PR flack is poor mouthing the (likely) billionaire's wealth:

"Bertolini received no salary increase in 2012 and his bonus was down 55%," Aetna spokeswoman Cynthia Michener said. "The long-term stock payouts reported in 2012 actually include two years' worth of equity grants from prior years. No long-term equity grants are scheduled to pay out in 2013."

Cry me a fucking river -- his bonus was down 55%. If my bonus going down 55% means I still make almost $50 million in a year, can I please have my bonus go down 95%?!

Other unnecessary executives who do nothing of value at a private insurance corporation that adds zero social value to our country also took home the bacon (well, the filet mignon):

Chief Financial Officer Joseph M. Zubretsky was compensated $21.39 million, not including $4.5 million in stock awards that have a future value and depend on the company's performance.

Kristi Ann Matus, executive vice president of government services, was compensated $2.5 million, not including $3.8 million in stock awards that have a future value and depend on the company's performance.

Margaret M. McCarthy, executive vice president of operations and technology, was compensated $11.9 million, not including $2.75 million in stock awards that have a future value and depend on the company's performance.

But, oh no, Aetna still must do everything possible to avoid complying with ACA regulations that might hit its profits (i.e. Mark's salary) just a tiny bit:

One of the largest health insurance companies in the United States is advising insurance brokers on how to evade new mandates and benefits set to take effect next year under President Barack Obama's health care reform law.

In an email sent to brokers, the insurance giant Aetna explains how they can renew customers' current health plans before Jan. 1, a strategy the Los Angeles Times reported this week is under consideration at other big health insurance companies.

Obamacare includes a number of new rules for health insurance plans that will become law at the beginning of next year, or whenever existing policies expire. By extending customers' plans before then, health insurance companies and their customers can lock in health plans that don't adhere to those rules for up to one more year.

Among the new rules this approach could skirt are requirements that health insurance cover a minimum set of benefits, prohibitions on turning away people with pre-existing conditions, bans on charging higher rates to sick people or to women, limitations on how much extra older people can be asked to pay, and rules against insurance companies refusing to renew policies.

The company is calling its outreach to insurance brokers "Aetna’s Premium Savings program."

Even loyal Aetna soldiers are pretty pissed in the comments section of the blog post detailing his riches. Take this example:

I am seriously appalled!! Aetna holds all employees to the company’s values: Employee Engagement, Quality Service and Value, Excellence and Accountability; last but not less “Integrity” which is doing the right thing for the for the reason! Well gluttony is not Integrity. We work for this healthcare company and pay for a ridiculous amount in premiums which our monetary raises doesn’t even meet the hike. I am a nonsmoker that exercises several times a week. With the millions you made, you could of put it towards the employees and paid our premiums for a full year. We work for a company that also charges us to work there by paying for parking on their own property. Mark, by setting this example it’s no wonder why department heads (i.e. I was going to name some but what’s the point) follow your lead and keep lying to their employees too. They have no integrity in their works ethics so this carries over to the home life too. You are no role model!! So what’s the point of the employees of holding their end of the business conduct and integrity if the President bluntly refuses too ergo no need of a HR department too (no one is on the hard workers side). You might as well stop spending our time with employee surveys too! I work extremely hard for the company every day, put my heart and sole into what I do just to make less than the previous year. It’s sad to say that I have had looked into obtain assistance via food share. You tell the employees that we didn’t make our target metrics so that raises and bonus are cut back but yet where did all of these millions come from that you gave yourself? The Aetna moto is “We want you to know”, well we are not well informed but lied too again and again.
The last person who ran Aetna poorly is now working with Obama with universal health care. Will Mark be looking to get his grips into this too and bankrupting the tax payers? Aetna sponsors lots of events and charities, well at this point, the employees not departments heads are the new charity cases so pass out the wealth!!!

As one Twitter commentator put it:

#Aetna CEO @mtbert compensation totals $36M - Houston @astros 27 total players, $26,105,600 total salary ow.ly/1UUUjF

— Kevin Roberts (@BrokerManCA) April 11, 2013

This greedy oligarch, folks, is why we don't have single-payer Medicare For All.