Are WellPoint execs greedy?

Three activist groups dropped off a wallet and handbag crammed with play money at WellPointâ??s front door this week to protest
what the groups say are outrageous salaries pulled down by company executives.

The groups â?? Health Care for America Now, Hoosiers for a Commonsense Health Plan and Central Indiana Jobs With Justice â?? also
inducted CEO Angela Braly and her predecessor, Larry Glasscock, into their first â??Hall of Shameâ?? for accepting huge compensation
at a time many Americans canâ??t afford health insurance.

Braly knows that if she doesnâ??t thicken WellPointâ??s bottom line and ultimately its stock price, the directors will find someone
else who will. Execs also have defended their freedom to receive compensation in line with market norms.

In other words, companies and executives are reacting to market forces. And they might be able to build a case that paying
for top talent is helping hold down health care costs.

Is it unfair for executives to make a lot of money at a time when health insurance has become prohibitively expensive for
many? Moreover, do you see a link between executive compensation and the cost of health insurance?