Lt. Gov. Tim Murray yesterday took aim at GOP gubernatorial rival Charles Baker, saying the former Harvard Pilgrim CEO spent a decade “hammering” consumers with premium increases even as his salary tripled.“If he was serious about helping consumers, helping small businesses have more affordable premiums, he wouldn’t be jacking his own pay at a time you’re hammering small businesses, cities and towns and families with these double-digit premium increases,” Murray said. “(Premium) rates have been a job-killer while they’re raising pay. It’s outrageous.”
The Herald reported yesterday that Baker’s salary at Harvard Pilgrim Health Care climbed from $548,351 in 1999 to a high of $1.7 million in 2008, before hitting a whopping $1.3 million in just seven months in 2009.
Over the same period, premiums at Harvard Pilgrim went up between 100 and 200 percent, skyrocketing from a monthly range of $166 to $187 per member in 1999 to between $425 and $483 as of April, according to filings with the Massachusetts Division of Insurance.
Baker, who is credited with rescuing Harvard Pilgrim from the brink of ruin to become a top-rated insurer by consumers, has defended his record and described himself as an activist for cost-containment within his former industry.
Baker’s running mate, Senate Minority Leader Richard R. Tisei (R-Wakefield), accused Gov. Deval Patrick’s administration of playing politics with health care.
UPDATE: More from Holly Robichaud, the Herald and Globe.
SECOND UPDATE: Please be sure to join us Wednesday night at 8:00pm EST for the latest edition of The Notes on Blog Talk Radio! Our guests will be David Paleologos of Suffolk University and author Susannah Gora. Plus, more from the Globe, the Herald and Holly Robichaud.
THIRD UPDATE: From Red Mass Group and the Herald.