Mike Fernandez

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Fernandez was born in Manzanillo, Cuba, the elder of two children of Lieba Fernandez and Mario Antonio Fernandez. Fernandez has a younger sister, Pilar Giorgini (Pilar de los Angeles Fernandez). On Christmas Day, 1964, Fernandez and his family were escorted by the Cuban military out of their own house and told to leave Cuba. The Fernandez family landed in Mexico City, and lived in a convent temporarily and then with other Mexican families. After six months of living in Mexico, the Fernandez family received their U.S. visas and made their way to New York City. Fernandez received a scholarship to attend Xavier High School, an all-boys Jesuit high school in the heart of Manhattan. A proud man, Mario told his son "we do not take charity nor are you disabled. Get a job and we will split the tuition". On weeknights, Fernandez worked at the New York State Psychiatric Institute, part of Presbyterian Hospital, cleaning cages of animals that were used in experiments. On weekends, Fernandez worked at the American Museum of Natural History at the kiosk stand selling souvenirs. Fernandez attended the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque and subsequently enlisted in the Army in 1972.

In 1975, after serving in the United States Army, Fernandez began his career in the insurance field.{{cite web|url=http://miami.cbslocal.com/2015/01/13/billionaire-businessman-mike-fernandez-humbled-by-the-journey/|title=Billionaire Businessman Mike Fernandez "Humbled By The Journey"|publisher=|accessdate=7 December 2015}}{{cite web|url=http://www.bizjournals.com/southflorida/news/2015/01/09/mike-fernandez-how-to-really-succeed-in-business.html|title=Mike Fernandez: How to really succeed in business|author=Mike Fernandez|date=9 January 2015|work=South Florida Business Journal|accessdate=14 December 2015}} After seeing an opportunity in packaging health insurance with life insurance policies, Fernandez began selling health insurance to existing clients. In 1981 Fernandez started Group Tech System, the first national database on health insurance quoting programs. Group tech became Comprehensive Benefit Administrators Inc. (CBAI) which was sold to Ramsay HMO. Ramsay HMO was the second-largest publicly held HMO in Florida during the early 1990s. Ramsay HMO was sold to United Healthcare in 1993, and at the time Fernandez was the second largest shareholder. In 1993, Fernandez started Physician's Healthcare Plans (PHP) based in Tampa FL. The company was sold to AmeriGroup in 2002. From 2002 to 2005 Fernandez started CarePlus Health. In 2005, he sold CarePlus Health Plans, a company he founded, to Humana,{{Cite web|url=http://www.miaminewtimes.com/arts/miami-art-museum-receives-5-million-from-mbf-healthcare-partners-chairman-mike-fernandez-6501146|title=Miami Art Museum Receives $5 Million From MBF Healthcare Partners Chairman Mike Fernandez|website=Miami New Times|accessdate=2015-12-07}}{{cite web|url=http://www.bizjournals.com/southflorida/stories/2010/05/03/daily36.html|title=Simply Healthcare invests in Better Health PSO|work=South Florida Business Journal|accessdate=14 December 2015}}{{cite web|url=http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2004-12-15/business/0412140527_1_humana-medicare-hmo-careplus-medicare|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151222142045/http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2004-12-15/business/0412140527_1_humana-medicare-hmo-careplus-medicare|url-status=dead|archive-date=December 22, 2015|title=Humana Will Buy Careplus|work=tribunedigital-sunsentinel|accessdate=14 December 2015}} and founded MBF Healthcare Partners, a private equity firm in Coral Gables.{{Cite web|url=http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2005-02-18/business/0502171187_1_hmo-deal-mike-fernandez-health-care|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151222134620/http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2005-02-18/business/0502171187_1_hmo-deal-mike-fernandez-health-care|url-status=dead|archive-date=December 22, 2015|title=From Hmos To Investments|website=tribunedigital-sunsentinel|accessdate=2015-12-07}} His latest sale included Simply Healthcare Plans which was sold to Anthem in 2015.

He has been the Founder and/or majority shareholder of 25 healthcare related companies. Most of these companies have been acquired by publicly traded companies. Among these enterprises are Physicians Healthcare Plans, CAC Medical Centers, Prescribit Rx, CarePlus Health Plans, Navarro Pharmacies, Medical Specialties Distributors, Hospitalists of America, ADI Dental, NutriForce, Simply Healthcare Plans, Acorn Health, Affinity Hospice, Strive Dental and Carisk Partners. After every sale, Fernandez distributes a significant portion to the company's employees. He has done this over two dozen times. In addition, he has been an active investor in other healthcare companies with majority and sometimes a minority ownership.

At a very young age, Fernandez learned the value of "to take care of those who come after you". He completed a 508-mile walk from France and Spain multiple times, in order to raise funds for a variety of children's causes. Over the past 20 years, he has contributed in excess of $100 million to charitable causes.{{Citation needed|reason=Needs a credible source, currently reads like a press release.|date=September 2016}}

Mike Fernandez was also the Founder and Chairman of the Immigration Partnership and Coalition Fund (IMPAC). The IMPAC Fund fundraises to expand currently existing legal services and programs to help undocumented immigrants fight unjust deportation procedures and grant them a path to citizenship.{{Cite web|title=The Immigration Partnership & Coalition Fund|url=https://impacfund.org/team|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200225221528/https://impacfund.org/team|url-status=usurped|archive-date=February 25, 2020|access-date=2021-02-03|website=The Immigration Partnership & Coalition Fund|language=en-US}} He is a Co-Founder of American Business Immigration Coalition based in Chicago.

Fernandez has been a Republican donor. In 2016, the New York Times wrote that Fernandez was "one of the most prolific donors in a key swing state" (Florida), contributing more than $4 million to Republicans in recent elections.Alexander Burns & Jonathan Martin, [https://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/22/us/politics/trump-money-gop.html These Wealthy People Refuse to Give Donald Trump Money. Here’s Why], New York Times (May 21, 2016). The Miami Herald has described Fernandez as "one of Florida's biggest conservative Republican moneymen. He currently is registered as an Independent since 2016."Patricia Mazzei, [http://www.miamiherald.com/news/politics-government/election/article48067815.htm Top Jeb Bush political donor in Miami: I'll vote for Hillary Clinton over Donald Trump], Miami Herald (December 4, 2015).

Fernandez was a major supporter of Mitt Romney's 2012 presidential campaign. Fernandez donated $1 million to Restore Our Future, a pro-Romney super PAC.{{cite news|url=http://www.bizjournals.com/southflorida/blog/2012/02/private-equity-investor-mike-fernandez.html?page=all|title=MBF Healthcare's Mike Fernandez gives $1M to Romney PAC|last=Bandell|first=Brian|date=1 February 2012|newspaper=South Florida Business Journal|accessdate=2 December 2013}}

In 2013, Fernandez donated $1 million to Florida Governor Rick Scott in his re-election campaign.{{cite news|url=https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2013/11/29/can-charlie-crist-compete-in-fundraising-game/|title=Can Charlie Crist compete in fundraising game?|last=Deslatte|first=Aaron|date=29 November 2013|newspaper=Capitol View|access-date=2 December 2013}} Fernandez was the chair of the finance committee for Scott's campaign.

During the 2016 election cycle, Fernandez was a major supporter of Jeb Bush, who unsuccessfully sought the Republican presidential nomination. Fernandez donated $3.2 million to Bush and his "Right to Rise" super PAC, making him Bush's largest donor and (as of February 2016) the 16th largest donor of the 2016 presidential election.{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/us/elections/top-presidential-donors-campaign-money.html|title=Million-Dollar Donors in the 2016 Presidential Race|date=February 9, 2016|newspaper=New York Times}}{{cite web|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2015/07/31/disagree-with-jeb-bush-so-does-his-largest-donor/|title=Disagree with Jeb Bush? So does his largest donor.|date=July 31, 2015|author=Janell Ross|newspaper=Washington Post}}{{cite web|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/BL-WB-56972|title=Jeb Bush Super PAC's Top Donor: Miguel "Mike" Fernandez|author=Beth Reinhard|work=Wall Street Journal|date=July 29, 2015}}

As a former Republican, Fernandez was not a supporter of Donald Trump in the 2016, 2020 and 2024 Presidential Elections. During the Republican primaries, Fernandez funded newspaper ads comparing Trump to Hitler, Mussolini, and other dictators.

Fernandez has praised the Massachusetts health care reform enacted under Mitt Romney, but opposes the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

Fernandez (who was born in Cuba), supported Obama's decision to normalize relations with Cuba and lift the U.S. embargo against Cuba, a decision that Fernandez called "65 years overdue."Marc A. Caputo, [http://miamiherald.typepad.com/nakedpolitics/2014/12/from-penniless-cuban-exile-to-billionaire-gop-moneyman-mike-fernandez-says-obamas-cuba-action-long-o.html From penniless Cuban exile to billionaire GOP moneyman, Mike Fernandez says Obama's Cuba action 'long overdue'], Miami Herald (December 18, 2014). Like other prominent Cuban Americans, Fernandez shifted positions on U.S.-Cuban relations over time, receding from hard-line stance and moving toward a position in favor of rapprochement.José de Córdoba, [https://www.wsj.com/articles/influential-cuban-americans-changed-stance-on-embargo-1458343570 How Foes of Warmer Relations With Cuba Slowly Came Around], Wall Street Journal (March 18, 2016). Fernandez wrote an op-ed published in the Miami Herald about his shift.Mike Fernandez, [http://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/op-ed/article36628830.html I choose to help rebuild my old Cuba], Miami Herald (September 26, 2015). Fernandez was part of the historic visit by President Obama to Cuba in 2016; he was part of a group of U.S. business executives, including many Cuban Americans, who met with Cuban businesspeople.Mimi Whitefield, [http://www.miamiherald.com/news/business/article67434212.html President Obama talks business with Cuban entrepreneurs], Miami Herald (March 21, 2016).

Fernandez is active with the Cuba Study Group.{{Cite web|url=http://www.cubastudygroup.org/index.cfm/project-signatories-investment-reforms#567f1a71-6c5d-4f43-adfc-616f21127e53|title=Unleashing Micro-Economic Reforms in Cuba: Investing in Cubans|publisher=Cuba Study Group|date=August 22, 2016}}

Mike Fernandez is married to Constance Tolevich Fernandez and has 5 children, George, Alex, Michelle, Michael, and Cristofer. He also has five grandchildren. In 2014, Fernandez released his autobiography, titled "Humbled by the Journey. Life Lessons for my Family… and Yours". The autobiography takes readers on parallel journeys: his 508-mile pilgrimage along El Camino de Santiago- and from a dirt-road Cuban town to the pinnacles of U.S. business success.{{Cite web|url=http://www.miamiherald.com/news/business/article6146259.html|title=Healthcare magnate's book offers advice for businesses, families|website=Miami Herald |access-date=2016-06-30}} Fernandez also owns a 4,000-acre ranch in Gadsden County part of which is in Havana, Florida where he breeds Friesian horses and cattle stock.

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Category:Living people

Category:Businesspeople from Florida

Category:People from Coral Gables, Florida

Category:American businesspeople in insurance

Category:American politicians of Cuban descent

Category:Cuban emigrants to the United States

Category:Florida Republicans

Category:Year of birth missing (living people)