AG Coakley To Investigate $11M Blue Cross Severance Package

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts is under investigation by the state attorney general for the $11 million severance package awarded to its former CEO Cleve Killingsworth.

State Attorney General Martha Coakley said the package raises "significant questions."

"Cleve's compensation was part of an employment contract that was agreed to by the board in 2005, and that was a very different time," said Blue Cross Blue Shield spokesman Jay McQuaide.

Killingsworth resigned from his post last March.

Gov. Deval Patrick has opted not to wade into the controversy over a roughly $11 million compensation package that the state's largest health insurer gave to its former chief executive.

Patrick said Thursday that his focus was on "getting health care costs down, not on compensation."

With reporting from the WBUR Newsroom and The Associated Press.