Health Perks Still Drawing Fire

Obviously, you don\’t want your executive to drop dead or be sidelined by a health crisis, but it\’s still pretty amazing to see the medical costs of the five CEOs profiled by Fortune. With full disclosure of perquisites drawing more attention every year, we\’re surprised to see these execs still receiving what is almost a universally poorly-received perk, instead of simply cutting it in favor of a cash replacement. (See also: club memberships.)

Particularly notable is the fact that Angela Braly, WellPoint\’s CEO, receives an annual physical to the tune of $1,044, despite the fact that she almost certainly has the best insurance plan that the large health conglomerate could possibly provide her. Wonder if she had to stay in-network.

On the other hand, Lowe\’s discloses that they consider these plans a best practice, noting that McDonald\’s recently lost two CEOs to poor health within nine months (one dying at work). While we certainly wouldn\’t want anyone to lose their life over a few grand, we have to wonder if the $4,986 exam Lowe\’s requires their CEO to receive isn\’t a little bit egregious, considering the notable disparity between what the two companies produce.