CA Health Care

1. ADVERTISEMENT
BUSINESS / Healthcare
Obamacare chief in California gets
$65,000 bonus on top of two raises
By CHAD TERHUNE contact the reporter
This article is related to: Healthcare Policies and Laws,
Affordable Care Act (Obamacare)
f t s m p c
Peter Lee, executive director of Covered California, will make $333,120 in salary starting July 1. Above, he speaks at a Los Angeles enrollment event
in February. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)
Visual Browse
x
LOCAL w
CALIFORNIA w
SPORTS w
ENTERTAINMENT w
BUSINESS w
OPINION w
NATION w
WORLD w
LIFESTYLE w
TRAVEL w
AUTOS w
REAL ESTATE w
PHOTOS & VIDEO w
GREAT READS
CLASSIFIEDS w
FIND A JOB
SHOP w
ADVERTISING w
CORRECTIONS
PRIVACY:UPDATE
TERMS: UPDATE
SITE MAP
ABOUT US w
CONTACT US w
SEARCHá
MEMBER CENTER
PLACE AN AD
SUBSCRIBE LOG IN|
Generated with www.html-to-pdf.net Page 1 / 3

2. S H A R E L I N E S
JUNE 19, 2015, 8:24 AM
Obamacare chief in California will make $333,120 after two raises this year #ACA
Obamacare: Covered California's director gets $65,000 bonus plus two raises this year
C
alifornia's Obamacare exchange awarded its executive director a $65,000 bonus
Thursday four months after giving him a 24% raise.
Starting July 1, Peter Lee will have a base salary of $333,120 as head of Covered
California. The exchange's board granted him a 24% raise in February and it gave Lee
another 2.5% increase Thursday.
Covered California's board chairwoman, Diana Dooley, said Lee deserved the additional
compensation for his work building the state-run marketplace and his continued
commitment to serving consumers statewide.
"We are deeply appreciative of Peter's leadership and we are very happy to recognize
his work," Dooley said.
The exchange didn't announce the Feb. 1 raise at the time. A spokeswoman said it was
posted on the exchange website May 21 along with salary information for 14 other top
managers who all earn more
than $100,000 annually.
Lee's $65,000 bonus surpasses
the $53,000 bonus the
exchange board granted him
last year.
Covered California's four-member board also gave a
13% raise to Yolanda Richardson, the exchange's
chief deputy executive director. She will make
$265,668 starting July 1.
The exchange doesn't draw on the state's general funds. Covered California's primary
source of revenue is a $13.95 monthly fee tacked onto every individual policy sold.
Consumer advocates have credited Lee with securing lower-than-expected rates from
health insurers the last two years and reaching substantial enrollment of nearly 1.4
million people.
At Thursday's board meeting, Lee cited the exchange's successful outreach to Latinos,
its sound financial footing and standardized benefits that make it easier for consumers
to compare health plans.
"This is a labor of love for many of us ... to change healthcare in California and to serve
ADVERTISEMENT
Relatedl
California official:
Supreme Court risks
'horrible moral
precedent' on Obamacare
ADVERTISEMENT
t ▼
t ▼
8
l Related
SEE ALL RELATEDí
BUSINESS
CalPERS approves
7.2% increase in
HMO rates as drug
costs climb
15
c Comments
ADD A COMMENTí
SEE ALL COMMENTSí
yup that's the way to
keep health care
costs down, give a
huge bonus to people
who are just doing
the job they are
getting over paid to
do in the first place!
lol when will this
government learn,
there should be no
bonus's and there
should be
productivity reviews
and random...
ROB OREGON
AT 5:54 PM JUNE 19, 2015
Generated with www.html-to-pdf.net Page 2 / 3

3. Copyright © 2015, Los Angeles Times
its sound financial footing and standardized benefits that make it easier for consumers
to compare health plans.
"This is a labor of love for many of us ... to change healthcare in California and to serve
as a model for the nation," Lee
said. "California can and should
feel proud of what we have done
to date."
Other state exchanges and their leaders haven't fared so well.
Officials in Oregon, Minnesota and Maryland all resigned as troubles
mounted during the health-law rollout. This month, Hawaii's
exchange began to shut down and shift enrollees to the federal
Healthcare.gov marketplace.
Covered California has had its share of operational problems, such as
an error-filled provider directory, long call-center wait times and
ongoing troubles for policyholders who are transferred to Medi-Cal.
Some observers have also faulted Lee and Covered California for
slower growth in year two of open enrollment.
California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones has repeatedly
criticized Lee for a lack of health plan choices in some markets.
Health insurers and their 2016 rates will be announced by Covered
California next month.
Twitter: @chadterhune
f t s m p c
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADD A COMMENTí
SEE ALL COMMENTSí
ROB OREGON
AT 5:54 PM JUNE 19, 2015
ADVERTISEMENT
BUSINESS
1 0 : 5 7
A M
DON'T MISS Sign up for our weekly Hot Property
newsletter
ät ▼
Generated with www.html-to-pdf.net Page 3 / 3