Cuyahoga County residents can get help signing up for health insurance at MetroHealth’s enrollment fair this weekend. 

The fair is at the Broadway Health Center on Broadway Ave. from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m on Saturday.

The hospital system wants to see more of the community insured – a prospect, it says, that helps both individuals’ health and the hospital’s. Growing numbers of uninsured patients are coming to the hospital for care, contributing to financial struggles. Funding cuts MetroHealth is facing on the local and federal level are adding pressure to how many uninsured and underinsured patients it can serve. 

At the enrollment fair, residents can speak one-on-one with MetroHealth’s financial counselors about their insurance options, such as Medicaid or Ohio’s marketplace. The marketplace is where residents who don’t get health insurance from their employer or from the government can buy it. 

“They would – based on the person’s situation – let them know what type of options are available to them and then help them down whatever path that might go,” said Romona Brazile, MetroHealth’s executive director of government and community relations. 

That’s important because health insurance can be a minefield to navigate. A person buying on the marketplace must choose from among many plans at different price ranges and that offer different levels of health care. And there’s extra confusion this year due to uncertainty around expanded tax credits that help residents pay for marketplace insurance. 

The tax credits made it far cheaper for millions of Ohioans to buy health insurance, but they’re set to expire at the end of the year. Democrats in Congress had hoped to secure a commitment from Republicans to extend those tax credits before reopening the government. They didn’t.  

Because of this, marketplace plans will almost certainly get more expensive next year. But Brazile said some tax credits will remain – and financial counselors can help residents figure out whether they will still qualify for them.   

“We don’t want people to not look at their options because they’re afraid of the price tag,” Brazile said. 

The fair is also an opportunity for residents wanting a discount on their healthcare from the hospital. MetroHealth’s new financial assistance policy requires residents to meet with the hospital’s financial counselors before qualifying for an income-based discount. The hospital is strongly encouraging patients to meet with the financial team before it seeks non-emergency medical services.

“We really still want to promote people coming in for care,” Brazile said. “If you know that you have this already established, then you can come in and see a primary care doctor. You can go to the lab. You can see a physical therapist.”

Patients can still receive retroactive discounts on bills, though. They must meet with the hospital’s financial assistance team after they receive a bill to get the discount. 

MetroHealth seeing more uninsured patients, less public funding

Since 2023, the hospital has seen more and more uninsured patients. The hospital is also seeing many “underinsured” patients – those who may have health insurance but struggle to afford the co-pays or deductibles that go along with it.

This means the hospital has to spend more on free and reduced-cost care for patients. The money it spent on charity care skyrocketed this year. 

Meanwhile, MetroHealth is struggling with other financial hits, from upcoming federal Medicaid cuts to shrinking support from Cuyahoga County. The county gives the hospital a subsidy each year that’s remained relatively steady over the past two decades. But over time, it’s been eaten up by inflation, hospital officials told Cuyahoga County Council members earlier this week. In 2007, county tax dollars supported about 6% of MetroHealth’s operations. In 2025, local taxes supported about 2%. And next year, Cuyahoga County is proposing even further cuts to the subsidy. 

“Costs are going up, and the dollars don’t cover what they once did,” said MetroHealth CEO Dr. Christine Alexander-Rager in a county council presentation Monday. 

Alexander-Rager asked the county council to reconsider the cut to MetroHealth. She said the cut would mean roughly 1,000 fewer people could get reduced cost or free healthcare or prescriptions. At least one council member, Michael Gallagher, said he was looking for ways to avoid cutting MetroHealth’s funding. 

Even so, Alexander-Rager said she believes the hospital has a solid plan to get its finances in order and keep operating. The hospital lost dollars in 2024 and expects to again in 2025. But Alexander-Rager said she foresees improvements in 2026 and breaking even by 2027.

“Despite all of these headwinds, we actually are making headway financially,” she said.

Health fair offers insurance help, health care 

Residents interested in signing up for health insurance at the fair should bring the following documents:

• Driver’s license, state ID or permanent resident card
• Proof of address (such as a utility bill or lease)
• Pay stubs 
• Birth certificates for themself and minor children
• Marriage certificate 
• Residents who own their own business should bring their tax returns 

The fair will also have booths with several of the companies that manage the state’s Medicaid programs. Medicaid recipients are able to choose which company to enroll with. 

Primary care providers will be on-site to briefly meet with patients, who can also get their flu and COVID vaccines at the fair. There will be screening for blood sugar and cholesterol levels, too. 

Pre-registration is not required to attend.