Does Cleveland Clinic Akron General work the same as Cleveland Clinic main campus?

Operationally yes — Cleveland Clinic Akron General is part of the Cleveland Clinic system, applies the same clinical protocols, and shares some specialty referral pathways. Patients can be referred from Akron General to Cleveland Clinic's main campus or specialty institutes for complex care. Most MA plans accepting Cleveland Clinic main campus also accept Cleveland Clinic Akron General, but confirm with your specific carrier.

Are Goodyear retiree health benefits creditable for Medicare Part D?

Generally yes for current Goodyear retirees on the company's retiree health plan. Goodyear sends annual creditable coverage notices confirming this. Don't enroll in a separate Part D plan if your Goodyear plan covers prescriptions — it can disrupt the Goodyear plan. Save the annual notices as documentation.

Where do most University of Akron retirees get Medicare coverage?

Depends on their role. Teaching faculty are STRS Ohio members and use STRS retiree health plans (Aetna Medicare Plan PPO, Aetna Basic Plan, or coordinated coverage). Non-teaching staff (administrators, researchers, support staff) are typically OPERS members and use the OPERS Via Benefits Connector to enroll in individual Medicare plans. Both groups have employer-coordinated paths that integrate with Medicare.

Is Summit County's Medicare market different from Cuyahoga's?

Yes. Cuyahoga (Cleveland) has the three-major-system landscape (Cleveland Clinic, UH, MetroHealth) plus much higher property taxes; Summit has the two-system Akron landscape (Summa Health, Cleveland Clinic Akron General). Summit also has a strong tire industry retiree concentration that Cuyahoga doesn't. Both markets have similar Medicare Advantage carrier availability from national carriers.

Can I have SummaCare and travel out of state?

SummaCare HMO plans typically have limited out-of-area coverage (emergencies only). SummaCare PPO plans usually allow out-of-area in-network care at higher cost-sharing. If you travel frequently or have a second home elsewhere, Original Medicare + Medigap or a national PPO MA plan usually provides better travel coverage. Verify specifics with SummaCare member services.

Medicare in Akron, OH (2026): Summa Health, Cleveland Clinic Akron General, and Local Plans

Q: Should I choose SummaCare or a national Medicare Advantage carrier in Akron?

SummaCare typically produces the strongest in-network experience if your primary care and specialists are within Summa Health — it's owned by Summa Health and deeply integrated. National carriers (Aetna, Anthem, Humana, UnitedHealthcare, Medical Mutual) are typically better if you want flexibility to use Cleveland Clinic Akron General, both systems, or non-Akron providers. Your hospital and physician preferences usually drive the decision.

On this page

Akron's two-system Medicare landscape
Summa Health and SummaCare
Cleveland Clinic Akron General
Akron's tire industry retirees
University of Akron and other employers
Summit County Area Agency on Aging
Common questions

Akron's two-system Medicare landscape

Akron metro (Summit County plus parts of Portage, Stark, and Medina) has approximately 110,000–130,000 Medicare beneficiaries. The market's defining feature is the presence of two major hospital systems with substantially different ownership structures:

Summa Health — headquartered in Akron, operates Summa Akron City Hospital (the academic flagship), Summa Barberton Hospital, and various outpatient facilities. Owns the SummaCare Medicare Advantage carrier.
Cleveland Clinic Akron General — acquired by Cleveland Clinic in 2015. Operates Cleveland Clinic Akron General Medical Center plus extensive primary and specialty care. Now functionally part of the Cleveland Clinic system.

For Akron-area Medicare beneficiaries, choosing between these two systems is a major decision. SummaCare's Medicare Advantage plans are deeply integrated with Summa Health facilities; most major national MA carriers (Aetna, Anthem, Humana, UnitedHealthcare, Medical Mutual) maintain in-network status with Cleveland Clinic Akron General. The Medigap-plus-Original-Medicare option works at both systems.

Summa Health and SummaCare

Summa Health serves much of the Akron metro and parts of surrounding counties (Stark, Portage, Wayne). Summa Akron City Hospital is a Level 1 trauma center and the system's academic flagship, affiliated with Northeast Ohio Medical University (NEOMED).

SummaCare is Summa Health's owned Medicare Advantage carrier. For Akron-area beneficiaries whose primary care and specialists are within Summa Health, SummaCare typically produces the strongest in-network coordination. Common features:

Deep network integration with Summa Health hospitals and physicians.
Care coordination handled within the Summa Health system.
Membership concentrated in Summit County, with growth in adjacent counties.
HMO and PPO Medicare Advantage plans available; some include Part D coverage built in.

For beneficiaries who want flexibility to use both Summa Health and Cleveland Clinic Akron General, Original Medicare + Medigap or a broader national MA plan often works better than a Summa-centric SummaCare HMO.

Cleveland Clinic Akron General

Cleveland Clinic Akron General Medical Center was historically an independent community hospital (Akron General Medical Center) and was acquired by Cleveland Clinic in 2015. The acquisition brought Cleveland Clinic's brand, clinical protocols, and care coordination to the Akron market.

For Medicare beneficiaries who want Cleveland Clinic-quality care without traveling to Cleveland's main campus, Cleveland Clinic Akron General provides:

Cleveland Clinic clinical protocols and quality standards applied locally.
Referral pathways to Cleveland Clinic's main campus and specialty institutes for complex care.
Acceptance of Original Medicare and most major MA plans.
Strong cardiology, oncology, and orthopedics programs.

Cleveland Clinic Akron General is in-network for most major MA carriers in northeast Ohio (Aetna, Anthem BCBS, Humana, UnitedHealthcare, Medical Mutual, and others). Verify specific plan acceptance before enrolling.

Akron Children's Hospital

Akron Children's primarily serves pediatric patients and isn't typically a destination for adult Medicare beneficiaries. However, Medicare beneficiaries who are family caregivers for grandchildren or who need pediatric subspecialty consultation may interact with Akron Children's. Coverage for adult care would generally route to Summa Health or Cleveland Clinic Akron General.

Akron's tire industry retirees

Akron's identity as the "Rubber City" produced a substantial retiree population with structured retiree health benefits. Major retiree groups in the area:

Goodyear Tire & Rubber retirees — Goodyear is still headquartered in Akron. Long-tenured retirees typically have retiree health benefits that coordinate with Medicare as wraparound or supplemental coverage.
Former Firestone, B.F. Goodrich, and General Tire retirees — these companies had major Akron operations historically. Retiree benefits structure varies depending on which successor entity holds the obligation; some are through VEBAs or trust arrangements.
USW (United Steelworkers) retirees from various Akron-area heavy industry employers — covered by multi-employer trust health plans, many considered creditable for Medicare Part D purposes.

If you're an Akron-area tire industry retiree, your retiree plan likely coordinates with Medicare. Confirm with the plan administrator how the plan handles Medicare coordination and whether prescription coverage is creditable. Save annual creditable coverage notices for documentation.

University of Akron and other employers

Other Akron-area Medicare-relevant employer concentrations:

University of Akron — non-teaching staff are OPERS members; teaching faculty are STRS Ohio. The university is a substantial employer with structured retiree benefits.
Summit County government — county workers are OPERS members.
Akron Public Schools and surrounding districts — teaching staff are STRS Ohio; non-teaching staff are SERS Ohio.
FirstEnergy — major Akron-area employer (Akron headquarters) with structured retiree health benefits.
InvenTrust Properties, Sterling Jewelers, GOJO (Purell maker) — other notable Akron employers.

For Ohio public pension retirees in Akron, see our Ohio Public Pensions and Medicare guide for the OPERS / STRS / SERS pathways.

Akron-area Medicare beneficiary deciding between Summa and Cleveland Clinic Akron General?A licensed Ohio Medicare agent familiar with northeast Ohio's hospital systems and SummaCare can run a side-by-side comparison for your specific situation. No cost to you.

Find a Medicare Agent in Ohio

Summit County Area Agency on Aging

The Direction Home Akron Canton Area Agency on Aging & Disability serves Summit, Stark, Portage, and Wayne counties. The agency supports older Ohioans and provides in-person Medicare counseling, plan comparisons, and Extra Help / Medicare Savings Program applications.

Beyond OSHIIP, the agency operates:

PASSPORT HCBS waiver case management for Medicaid-eligible seniors needing long-term services to remain at home.
Aging and Disability Resource Network — central information line.
Caregiver support, meal programs, transportation coordination.

Contact the agency.org for office locations and appointment scheduling.