Summit County leaders estimate that 38,000 to 40,000 county residents remain without health insurance.
With a Jan. 31 deadline looming to enroll through the Affordable Care Act Health Insurance Marketplace, officials are encouraging the uninsured to sign up soon to avoid fines.
“We know there are still more to reach,” said Kathleen Falk, a regional director with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Federal and county leaders, along with groups assisting people, gathered Wednesday at Summit County Public Health in Akron to highlight the deadline and note two upcoming free enrollment events:
• Noon to 4 p.m. Monday at Ohio Means Jobs Summit County, 1040 Tallmadge Ave., Akron.
• 2 to 7 p.m. Tuesday at Ohio Means Jobs Summit County. The event is sponsored by Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc.
The majority of those without coverage are concentrated in Akron, especially in the North Hill neighborhood, the southwest portion of the city, the area just west of downtown and in southeast Akron, according to ZIP code data released by the Department of Health and Human Services.
There also are thousands of remaining uninsured in Norton, Barberton, Lakemore and Springfield Township.
Falk and Summit County Health Commissioner Donna Skoda said those who are uninsured may be unaware of the requirement or believe they can’t afford insurance. In many cases, Ohioans are eligible for plans costing $75 or less a month after tax credits.
Surveys show many of the uninsured are between the ages of 18 and 34, and most of them are working, Falk said.
Summit County has seen the number of residents without coverage fall from 80,000 in 2014.
“It has been a journey getting that many people enrolled over a short time,” County Executive Russ Pry said.
Stacey Ortman and Cathy Vue, who work with Asian Services In Action Inc. in Akron, work with immigrants and refugees with limited English skills and no previous experience with health insurance.
They have seen more people signing up this year who are worried about the potential $695 fine.
“The fine is a motivating factor,” Ortman said.
Rick Armon can be reached at 330-996-3569 or rarmon@thebeaconjournal.com. Follow him on Twitter at @armonrickABJ.