Consultant will develop health care plan for uninsured Manatee County residents

MANATEE -- A consultant will soon get to work on developing a health care plan for uninsured and underinsured Manatee County residents.

On Tuesday, Manatee County Commission authorized a $125,000 agreement with Health Management Associates Inc. of Lansing, Mich., to develop the plan. Commissioner Robin DiSabatino cast the sole dissenting vote.

"The health care consultant will really be the fieldwork, data gathering, those doing the inventory of the health care assets in the community," said Deputy County Administrator Karen Windon.

The advisory board "has got to have that foundation of information to be able to make informed decisions going forward."

With a health care advisory board also working to advise the commission on health care issues, the consultant will serve as the "research arm of the health care advisory board," said County Administrator Ed Hunzeker.

Commissioner Betsy Benac said it is good to have some goals clearly established.

"This is fact finding but in no way does this determine what's going to happen moving forward," she said. "It doesn't mean that our destiny is set because it's going to be more complicated than that."

DiSabatino said she voted against another funding study when the county would not have to adhere to its findings.

"This discussion is going to be ongoing," she said. "Maybe explore having a person on staff who is an expert who can work with us year round. I just think it's a little premature."

Commissioner Carol Whitmore said this company can give expert advice.

"This company will provide the base so they can tap into it and do something," she said.

Claire Aronson, Manatee County reporter, can be reached at 941-745-7024. Follow her on Twitter@Claire_Aronson.

This story was originally published February 9, 2016 at 11:07 PM with the headline "Consultant will develop health care plan for uninsured Manatee County residents ."