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Rep. Cole proposes executive‑pay limits and staffing transparency in hospitals to narrow pay gaps
Summary
Representative Cole introduced H228 to require timely data on executive compensation and administrative staffing ratios in hospital budget reviews and to cap top executive pay at no more than 10 times the lowest paid direct care provider, alongside a call to boost transparency and workforce pay.
Representative Cole told the committee H228 would ask the Green Mountain Care Board to collect more timely, transparent and accessible data about employee compensation and administrative staffing ratios as part of the hospital budget review. The bill would also aim to bring administrative staff ratios closer to national averages and would limit hospital executive pay so that executive compensation does not exceed 10 times the pay of the hospital’s lowest‑paid direct care provider.
Cole said the measures are intended to align executive incentives with Vermont’s health values and to address what she described as an extreme pay gap in which top executives earn many multiples of front‑line direct care workers. She framed the ratio as a stewardship metric and argued improved data timeliness would help the legislature and board make more informed budget and policy decisions.
Committee members asked for clarification about implementation and whether the cap would be enforced by reducing executive pay or raising lower wages; Cole said the bill seeks data to inform policy and to limit excessive executive compensation while improving allocations to direct care staff. No vote was taken; committee members indicated they would need more data and stakeholder input before acting.
