Tenet Healthcare CEO Saum Sutaria earned $43.1 million in 2025, the highest compensation among for-profit hospital executives, according to federal SEC documents reported by fortune.com. This comes as Americans collectively hold $220 billion in medical debt, highlighting a stark contrast between executive pay and patient financial burdens. Healthcare costs in the US are expected to rise by 9% this year, intensifying concerns over affordability.
The House Ways and Means Committee held a hearing in April to question hospital CEOs about their spending and the rising healthcare costs. While executives attributed cost increases to rising premiums and suggested consolidation could help, frontline nurses strongly criticized the high executive pay amid chronic staff shortages and escalating patient expenses. Karena Jimenez Pulido, chief nurse representative at HCA Florida Largo Hospital, called the compensation packages "outrageous and immoral."
For-profit hospital CEOs dominate the top earners list, with HCA Healthcare CEO Sam Hazen receiving $26.5 million and Universal Health Services CEO Marc Miller earning $16.1 million in 2025. Community Health Systems CEO Kevin Hammons, who became permanent CEO in October 2025, earned $4.8 million. These figures underscore ongoing debates about healthcare affordability and executive compensation in a sector where patients face significant financial challenges.
The Peterson-KFF Health System Tracker data cited by fortune.com confirms the $220 billion medical debt burden on Americans. The Business Group on Health survey projects a 9% increase in healthcare costs this year, adding pressure on patients already struggling with medical expenses.