Events are taking place around Dayton this week to help people sign up for health plans through the federal Affordable Care Act marketplace. This year the deadline is Jan. 31 to get a plan through the federal government, and what’s different this time is that the fines if you don’t get insurance go up quite a bit. Obamacare requires adults to get health insurance one way or another—many have become newly eligible for Medicaid in Ohio. The marketplace is designed for those who don’t meet the income requirements or have employer-supplied health care.
People without insurance in 2016 could have to pay a minimum of $695 dollars in fines, or 2.5 percent of their income.
Since the Affordable Care Act rolled out, Ohio has reduced the number of people in the state without health insurance by half—many have gotten coverage through the expansion of Medicaid for low-income adults.
The federal health department says more than 226,000 people in the state have already renewed or signed up this year—more than 21,000 in the Dayton area. And most people—four out of five in Ohio—get federal subsidies and don’t pay the full sticker price for their plans. Many get steep discounts and pay under $50 per month for insurance, but shopping can still be confusing as the website shows the full price before subsidies, and subsidies change based on income.
Of course, as with previous years, lots of folks wait til the last minute to figure it out. If that’s you, you can still get help at a series of all-day events at local health centers this week. A new feature this year from the non-profit Enroll America is an online sign-up for an appointment to get help.
Wednesday, January 27, 2016
8:00AM-7:00PM
Corwin Nixon Health Center
2351 Stanley Ave.
Dayton, OH 45404
Thursday, January 28, 2016
9:00AM-4:00PM
Victor Cassano Health Center
165 Edwin C. Moses Blvd.
Dayton, OH 45404
Friday, January 29, 2016
12:00PM-4:00PM
Reach Out of Montgomery County
25 E. Foraker Street
Dayton, OH 45404
Saturday, January, 30, 2016
10:00AM-2:00PM
Dayton Children’s Hospital One Children’s Plaza
Dayton, OH 45404
Sunday, January 31, 2016
11:00AM-8:00PM
Resolute Group
389 Shaw Ave.
Dayton, OH 45404
