Welcome to our second annual review of health plan CEO compensation.

We reviewed the 2009 compensation packages of the CEOs of the seven largest health insurance companies. Only one--HealthNet's Jay Gellert--earned less than $6.5 million last year.

But the going wasn't easy. The health insurance industry is among one of the most heavily scrutinized--by the press and federal regulators. Most recently, WellPoint and CEO Angela Braly have faced intense criticism for their unusually high rate hikes and a rescission scandal involving breast cancer patients. Braly's generous 2009 compensation package has roused even more ire from critics. Still, her salary pales in comparison with two of her well-placed colleagues--Ron Williams and Allen Wise.

According to Fortune 500's 2010 list [1], the top seven health insurance companies in terms of overall revenues include:

1. UnitedHealth Group - $87 billion
2. WellPoint - $65 billion
3. Aetna - $34.7 billion
4. Humana - $30.9 billion
5. Cigna - $18.4 billion
6. Health Net - $15.7 billion
7. Coventry Health Care - $13.9 billion

We ordered our list a little differently; according to the overall compensation of each organization's leader. Click on each name below to get a more detailed look into the pay packages for each executive.

1. Ron Williams, Aetna [2]

2. Allen Wise, Coventry Health Care [3]

3. Angela Braly, WellPoint [4]

4. Stephen Hemsley, UnitedHealth Group [5]

5. David Cordani, Cigna [6]

6. Michael McCallister, Humana [7]

7. Jay Gellert, Health Net [8]