As the final month of open enrollment for new health insurance plans approaches, a local sliding-scale health center is offering a free event to help people get coverage.
AxessPointe Community Health Center is hosting an enrollment fair from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at its Akron office, located in Suite 38 of the shopping plaza at 1400 S. Arlington St.
Certified application counselors will be available to help review insurance options, as well as to assist with Medicaid applications.
Open enrollment began Oct. 1 and continues through March 31 for the new Health Insurance Marketplace plans. Consumers who apply before March 15 will have coverage effective April 1.
Under the Affordable Care Act, most Americans are required to get health insurance or face a potential financial penalty when they file their 2014 taxes next year.
The marketplace, also known as an exchange, is a computerized system at www.healthcare.gov that allows consumers to compare plans and determine whether they qualify for financial help from the federal government paying for coverage.
Medicaid eligibility for adults in Ohio also was boosted, starting Jan. 1, to 138 percent of the federal poverty standard, or $15,856 for an individual.
Previously, Ohio adults without children were ineligible for Medicaid, except for low-income disabled residents. And, in some families, children qualify for coverage but their parents don’t.
Representatives from the five insurance companies offering Medicaid coverage in the region — Buckeye Community Health, UnitedHealthcare Community Plan, CareSource, Molina Healthcare and Paramount — will be available at the enrollment event to answer questions.
Radiothon raises funds
This year’s Have a Heart, Do Your Part Radiothon raised $654,962 for Akron Children’s Hospital, the hospital’s foundation announced Monday.
The annual radiothon, which takes place each February on WKDD (98.1-FM), is the pediatric hospital’s largest annual fundraiser.
Money raised during the event supports patient care, community outreach and research.
Since it launched in 2000, the radiothon has raised more than $8.9 million for Akron Children’s Hospital. Last year, the radiothon and related activities generated $663,865 in donations for Children’s.
Free summer camp
Case Western Reserve University students are organizing a free camp Aug. 2-7 at Camp Asbury in Hiram for children who have a parent who has been touched by cancer.
Camp Kesem will accept 30 campers ages 6 through 16 on a first-come, first-serve basis. Applicants must have a parent currently in treatment or in remission for cancer or who has died from the disease.
According to a news release, the goal of the camp “is to give children who have/had a parent with cancer a safe, supportive and fun camp experience during which they can build friendships and gain strength from peers facing similar challenges.”
Since it started in 2000 at Stanford University, Camp Kesem has expanded to 54 campuses nationwide.
For more information, or to apply for a spot at the camp, visit www.campkesem.org/casewestern.
Cheryl Powell can be reached at 330-996-3902 or cpowell@thebeaconjournal.com. Follow Powell on Twitter at twitter.com/CherylPowellABJ.