AxessPointe Community Health Centers, Inc. is Hosting Free Insurance Enrollment Fairs
Oct. 9, 2019 – AxessPointe Community Health Centers, Inc. will be hosting a series of free insurance enrollment fairs to help members in the community enroll in health insurance. These events are part of Affordable Care Act Marketplace Open Enrollment 7 that begins Nov. 1 and ends Dec. 15, 2019. Although there is no longer a penalty for not having insurance coverage, the 2020 Marketplace plans can provide a premium tax credit to reduce premium payments and cost-saving reductions to assist with out-of-pocket expenses. Plans can be reviewed without enrolling to help determine the best fit. AxessPointe’s Certified Application Counselors (CACs) will be available to assist individuals with enrollment or questions.
The dates for our open enrollment fairs occurring throughout Akron, Barberton and Kent are as follows:
* Saturday, Nov. 2: AxessPointe Barberton, 390 Robinson Ave., Suite E from 8 a.m. – 1 p.m.
*Friday, Nov. 8: AxessPointe Arlington, 1400 S. Arlington St. in Akron from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
*Saturday, Nov. 16: AxessPointe Kent, 143 Gougler Ave. from 8 a.m. – 1 p.m.
*Tuesday, Nov. 19: AxessPointe Kent, 143 Gougler Ave. from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
*Wednesday, Dec. 4: AxessPointe Broadway, 676 S. Broadway St. in Akron from 8 a.m. – 4 p.m.
* Saturday, Dec. 7: AxessPointe Arlington, 1400 S. Arlington St. in Akron from 8 a.m. – 1 p.m.
* Wednesday, Dec. 11: AxessPointe Barberton, 390 Robinson Ave., Suite E from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
No appointments are needed; simply stop by and see us. Be sure to know the social security numbers of every member in your taxable household even if they are not applying for coverage. The Marketplace asks for your estimated 2020 household income to calculate savings on monthly premiums and out-of-pocket expenses.
The Affordable Care Act was passed in 2010 and the first enrollment started in 2013, and coverage began in January 2014. Due to changes in funding, open enrollment is currently six weeks and many, if not most, enrollment assistance programs have been discontinued.
The start date of insurance coverage is specific to the insurer’s discretion, generally if you pay your premium before the 15th, it will start the first of the following month. There are five different types of coverage: bronze, silver, gold, platinum and catastrophic (for those 30 or younger). You can apply for a tax credit for any level of coverage, but only silver plans have cost saving reductions to assist with out-of-pocket expenses, such as deductibles. All plans have a maximum out-of-pocket cap, meaning once you have paid that maximum, the plan will pay 100 percent.
AxessPointe’s CACs can also assist with enrollment for Medicaid and Medicare anytime during the year. They will also work with you if you need to make changes to your plan. For Medicaid, you can select a new managed care provider during Medicaid open enrollment from Nov. 1- Nov. 30, 2019. Open enrollment for a change in Medicare options for the new year is from Oct. 15-Dec. 7, 2019. For free help with making changes to your plan, it is best to set an appointment with one of our CACs. They can be reached by calling our main office line, 888-975-9188.
AxessPointe Community Health Centers is a federally qualified health center (FQHC) serving more than 18,500 patients in 2018 throughout Summit and Portage counties. AxessPointe has five current sites in Northeast Ohio, including three in Akron, one in Kent and one in Barberton. An FQHC is a non-profit corporation that delivers primary medical, dental and preventive health services in medically underserved areas. AxessPointe also provides pharmacy, women’s health and behavioral health services. For more information visit axesspointe.org.
