From the : A year out of office, former Gov. has a new job: chief strategy officer at MCNA Dental, the largest privately held dental insurance company in the country, according to a spokesman for Perry.
The Florida-based insurer does business in Texas, and was a major donor to Perry鈥檚 presidential campaign.
Jeff Miller, a Perry aide, confirmed Perry鈥檚 new gig on Tuesday, as news broke that the longest-serving governor in Texas history was in Florida, meeting with Gov. Rick Scott.
First reported by , the meeting was organized by Southern Strategy Group, a lobbying firm that represents the dental company. The insurer is pushing for a 鈥渄ental carve-out鈥� in the state鈥檚 Medicaid program that would allow it to cover children.
鈥淵es the Governor met with him,鈥� Jackie Schutz, Scott鈥檚 spokeswoman, said in an email. 鈥淚t was about that topic.鈥�
Florida鈥檚 official database of lobbyists did not list Perry late Tuesday. But Miller told the Tribune that Perry registered as a lobbyist in the state of Florida Tuesday 鈥渙ut of an abundance of caution."
MCNA Dental 鈥� which has contracts with the Texas, Florida and Louisiana Medicaid programs, according to its website 鈥� was the top donor to Perry鈥檚 presidential bid, which ended in September, donating $37,800 directly to his campaign, according to . MCNA Dental also gave $20,000 to Texans for Rick Perry, Perry's state political action committee, in 2010, according to state records.
The vice chair of the 鈥� Albert Hawkins 鈥� previously led the Texas Health and Human Services Commission. Perry appointed him to the role in 2003, and .
Since leaving the campaign trail, Perry has also made news by , and for to Dallas oilman Ray L. Hunt鈥檚 controversial plan to take over Oncor, the state鈥檚 largest electric utility.
