Doctor’s yard sign for her state House bid: ‘ACCEPT CIGNA’

Yard signs promoting an Orange County doctor’s bid to join the Florida Legislature feature something unusual: her office’s billing practices.

The phrase “ACCEPT CIGNA” appears in large, capital letters just below Dr. Usha Jain’s name on the signs. Jain, a Republican, is seeking office in state House District 44, a seat recently vacated by former Rep. Eric Eisnaugle, now an appellate judge.

“I don’t even know,” she said, asked why the insurance company’s name is on the signs, adding that a friend helped design them.

Jain, a board-certified doctor of emergency medicine and pediatrics, said she was not using her campaign to promote her practice.

“I don’t need to go into politics to bring in business,” said Jain, 66. “I’m sacrificing business to do this nonsense.”

While it isn’t typical for a political sign, Michael Ertel, Seminole County’s elections supervisor, said the “ACCEPT CIGNA” phrase doesn’t run afoul of state law governing political advertising.

He called it “superfluous information,” not unlike a campaign slogan or a logo.

Jain previously ran for the Orange County Commission and has also filed to run for governor in 2018, records show.

Voters in District 44, which includes the cities of Winter Garden and Windermere, will go to the polls for a primary election Aug. 15, followed by a general election Oct. 10.

Jain is one of four Republicans in the race, with Bruno Portigliatti, executive vice president of Florida Christian University; John Newstreet, CEO of the Kissimmee/Osceola Chamber of Commerce; and former Winter Garden Commissioner Bobby Olszewski. Health care entrepreneur Paul Chandler was the only Democrat to qualify.

Jain described herself as a selffunded candidate running her own campaign. State records show she had not accepted any donations through May.

“I haven’t raised any money so my principles are a little bit different,” she said. “I’m not raising any money and I’m not obligated to anybody to do any favors.”