Candidate wants health faciltiy for county workers

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. (WOFL FOX 35) - FOX 35 was there as Orange County Commissioner and mayoral candidate Bill Segal toured a private local health care clinic.

Part of his platform to run for Orange County Mayor is to offer Orange County employees their own health care clinic, save them money, save the county money, and give that back to the taxpayers.  "I've been pushing this idea for well over a year and I think its an idea who's time has come: well care clinics for Orange County employees, not for citizens, for employees," said Segal.

The facility he toured on Tuesday is owned and run by local hotel mogul Harris Rosen. It has been up and running for more than twenty years. His employees come here and for a five dollar co-pay see their primary care physician. It's the model for Segal's plan.

"Its primary care. We also have podiatry here radiology, we have gynecology services so our associates can come," said Rosen.

Segal says on average, health care cost seven thousand dollars per year per employee. With a clinic like Rosen's, that could go down to $3,000. "I think we could save upwards of $10 million dollars per year for Orange County. The way I'm trying to sell it to Orange County taxpayers is money we save in health care will be passed back on to you in tax deduction from property taxes," said Segal.

And, if employees don't want to use the proposed primary care clinic: "You can continue on with your regular doctors pay the same rates. However, you join this, your rates go down by 25 percent. You still have a choice," said Segal.

Commissioner Segal says this could be a win win for everyone if he's elected mayor and can get the rest of the commission on board with it.