Many in Athens may be unaware they even are able to apply.
Though thousands of Athens County residents qualify for benefits related to the state’s expanded Medicaid program, many either haven’t signed up yet or are unaware how to.
58 percent of 4,500 eligible residents in Athens signed up for Ohio’s Expanded Medicaid, as of December 2014.
Expanded Medicaid provides free or low-cost health care coverage to those below a certain income level regardless of disability, family status, financial resources or other typical factors considered for Medicaid eligibility.
“This is lower than the statewide take up rate (for Expanded Medicaid) of 80 percent,” said Trey Daly, Ohio director for Enroll America.
The rate of those uninsured in Athens, has dropped from an estimated 22 percent in 2013 to 12 percent in 2014, according to Enroll America’s website. There are more than 14,500 nonelderly uninsured residents in Athens, Hocking, Meigs and Vinton Counties combined.
Athens also has fewer residents signing up for state or federally mandated health care plans compared to its surrounding counties, according to data from Enroll America.
Morgan County has a “take up rate,” the percentage of people who qualify and sign up for a health care plan like expanded Medicaid, of about 86 percent. Perry has a take up rate of 91 percent and Meigs has a take up rate of 88 percent.
Justin Kendrick, certified Affordable Care Act navigator for Southeast Ohio, works to help locals in Athens, Hocking, Vinton and Meigs Counties sign up for and understand the ACA and expanded Medicaid.
Kendrick said part of the federal ACA legislation included possible state expansion of Medicaid, primarily paid for by the federal government. The plan allowed for each individual state to decide whether it would participate.
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“Ohio was one of those who chose to expand the program,” Kendrick said.
During the first open enrollment period for The Affordable Care Act, 527 Athens residents signed up for a marketplace insurance plan — not including those who signed up for state-based Medicaid or Medicare.
The second enrollment period, which closes on Feb. 15, didn’t attract many more for a plan — 605 residents in the county had signed up as of Jan. 16.
Kendrick said the low enrollment rate could be attributed to low population density as well as the student population “skewing” statistic results.
“The population (of Southeast Ohio) is almost exclusively rural, making it hard to reach communities,” he said. “You have to tailor your approach (here),” he said.
Kendrick said that during the current enrollment period, he has set up health care plans for about 300 individuals through in-person meetings.
If more computers were available locally, more residents would sign up, said Athens City-County Health Commissioner James Gaskell.
Ohio Senator Lou Gentile said a more “localized” state exchange could be more beneficial for Ohioans.
“At one point, Ohio had the option to establish its own state exchange and Gov. Kasich and the lieutenant governor did not want to do that,” he said, adding that he hasn’t heard any constituent complaints about this year’s open enrollment period. “State leaders could have been more involved in helping folks enroll.”
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