Painful Contradictions

By Diogenes ( articles ) | Feb 23, 2004

Remember the parable of the good Samaritan? The one where the Samaritan finds the guy beaten by robbers and trots off to lobby for tetrarchy-funded health care? Check out the U.S. Catholic:

U.S. health care is a study in painful contradictions, according to Father Michael Place, president of the Catholic Health Association, the U.S. church's national organization of not-for-profit health care providers. ... He calls its failure to provide basic coverage to so many uninsured citizens a "national disgrace."

"Go, and do thou compel thy neighbor by mandatory taxation under threat of fine or imprisonment to do likewise!" (Luke 10:37, abridged). Well, we can all dry the starting tear, because Father Place has us covered:

[Place] became the chief executive of the Catholic Health Association and, according to Modern Healthcare, is among the highest paid in that world. The average base compensation for chief executives of major healthcare associations is $399,062. In the year that CHA went from healthy profits to post a $656,559 loss on total revenue of $15.3 million, Fr. Place had his annual salary raised to $529,288, not including $37,000 in benefits and expense allowance. Fr. Place points out that he gives ten percent of his income to the Church, leaving him with barely half a million per year for himself. "After three years in my position, [the CHA board] said I was far below the market basket and needed to catch up to where I should be."