In 2021, CommonSpirit/Centura paid its top three executives $17.3 million, $14.6 million and $5.4 million, respectively. They also paid more than $1 million to more than 25 other executives during this time, none of whom were doctors, nurses or other medical staff, while also reporting a net income of $128 million. Impressive numbers for a “nonprofit.”

In 2022, Anthem paid its top three executives $20.9 million, $16.5 million and $4.6 million, respectively, while reporting a cool $8.5 billion in net profit.

Despite these staggering numbers, the second-largest insurer and the third-largest hospital system in the nation can’t come to an agreement on how much they should be squeezing out of their customers.

As usual, it’s the working-class residents who will suffer, while the uber-rich continue their pursuit of uber-uber-uber-rich.

Capitalism has a number of important places in our economy, but health care is not one of them.

As the industry is more frequently used as a wealth-hoarding vehicle rather than a people-helping entity, it becomes rather obvious that infinite growth and profit are not compatible with the delivery of compassionate, functional health care.

Companies like Anthem are nothing but middlemen demanding outrageous compensation. Hospitals like CommonSpirit put profits over people (especially women), while understaffing their hospitals and underpaying the staff.

It’s time to move on from for-profit health care, and realize the equity and peace of mind that comes with a single-payer system.

Jeff Dunn

Durango