Aetna CEO could make $500 million from CVS merger

Aetna CEO Mark Bertolini is in line for a massive payday if CVS Health gains approval to take over his health insurance company. The Wall Street Journal reports Bertolini could get a $500 million golden parachute, a vast majority of which is tied to Aetna stock.

Why it matters: It's a half-billion dollars, potentially making it one of the highest merger-related pay packages. Extremely lavish pay tied to stock has become commonplace in health care, and that compensation arrangement does not give executives strong incentives to control health care spending.