Merry Christmas! Ed Hanway, Cigna CEO, is getting a $73,200,000 golden parachute

December 23rd, 2009 2:30 PM

Merry Christmas! Ed Hanway, Cigna CEO, is getting a $73,200,000 golden parachute

By Jason Rosenbaum / Firedoglake

Ed Hanway, CEO of Cigna, one of the nation’s largest health insurance companies, will step down at the end of this year, in just over a week. When he does, he’ll get $73,200,000 as compensation for a job well done.

What makes Hanway worth $73.2 million? Well, for one example, he’s presided as Cigna denied a liver transplant to 17-year-old Nataline Sarkisyan, causing her death and widespread outrage. Wendell Potter, Cigna’s former spokesperson turned whistle-blower, was at the company during the Sarkisyan scandal, and he explains its effect on him personally, as well as how the company thinks about denying care:

In our system today, there is literally no repercussions for insurance companies when they deny care, jack up rates, or do all the other things they do to screw over their customers. Ed Hanway did all those things as much as he could, and for that, he’s being rewarded.

Out there in America, people are losing their jobs. They’re losing their homes. They’re skimping on holiday gifts to put food on the table. And they’re still going bankrupt due to skyrocketing medical costs.
Meanwhile, insurance company stocks are "on fire" in reaction to the Senate bill, which, though it has some regulations, leaves people at the mercy of private insurance because it lacks a public health insurance option.
People out there are suffering, insurance companies are winning, and Ed Hanway is walking away with $73.2 million.
We’ve managed to track down Hanway’s personal email address. This isn’t a spam box or an unattended address, this is

Hanway’s actual corporate email. It’s H.Edward.Hanway@CIGNA.com.

Send him an email. Tell him what you think of his golden parachute. While you’re at it, why don’t you tell Hanway what you’d like for Christmas, and what you’d buy with his money. You can leave a message on Cigna’s Facebook page as well, if you want.