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With HMSA executive compensation packages recently under fire, I was disappointed to read CEO Mark Mugiishi’s response in Sunday’s newspaper, saying competitive executive compensation was necessary to compete with Hawaii’s “for profit” national companies — and then including “Kaiser” as an example of such (“HMSA employees say executive compensation came as a shock”).
Unlike HMSA, Kaiser Permanente is a true 501(c)(3) not-for-profit (NFP), both federally and in Hawaii, whereas it is my understanding that HMSA does not enjoy federal NFP status and operates more as a hybrid NFP. Kaiser’s executive salaries are public record, unlike HMSA’s. And yes, Kaiser’s top executives earn more than HMSA’s; however Kaiser has a national membership base of around 13 million members, compared with HMSA’s 700,000.
I would have appreciated something a little more transparent from Mr. Mugiishi in response to the issues being brought up.
Jeanne Martin
Ala Moana
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