Health Insurance Brokers Connect Arkansas and Missouri Citizens to Health Coverage Online: Mercy Health Plans Inc. Licenses eHealth Technology
MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA, Jul 08, 2009 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) -- eHealth, Inc. (NASDAQ: EHTH), parent company of eHealthInsurance (http://www.ehealthinsurance.com), today announced the licensing of eHealth's eCommerce On-Demand (eOD) technology to Mercy Health Plans, Inc. (MHP), a subsidiary of the Sisters of Mercy Health System (Mercy).
Under the agreement, Mercy Health Plans' brokers and agents in Arkansas and Missouri will use eHealth's eOD platform to prepare quotes and submit applications for individual and family health insurance plans to Mercy Health Plans, using a broker website designed and powered by eHealth. Individuals will also have the option to go online and search for health insurance on their own at Mercy Health Plans' website: www.mercyhealthplans.com.
"We're excited to be working with a leading provider of high quality insurance products like Mercy Health Plans as they work to build a more robust and efficient eCommerce solution," says eHealth Senior Vice President of Carrier Relations, Robert Hurley. "By creating an eCommerce site that integrates into its broker-generated business channel, Mercy Health Plans has increased its online penetration, which we believe can powerfully contribute to their growth and success in these states."
"Our primary goal is to service the needs of our customers, and we're confident that eHealth's eOD technology will assist us in doing so," says Kimberly Mernovage, Director of Marketing, Mercy Health Plans. "It's vital that we use every channel available to reach the uninsured consumer, which is why an ecommerce platform that integrates more directly with consumers, our brokers, and underwriting process is an ideal solution."
eHealth, Inc.'s eCommerce on-Demand (eOD)
eCommerce on Demand utilizes a Software as a Service (SaaS) delivery platform that allows health plan providers to quickly deploy the same straightforward quoting experience and intuitive shopping tools available on the eHealth Insurance website without implementing a costly, packaged or custom-built solution. Hosted, updated and supported by eHealth's technology operations, eOD delivers eHealth's proven and proprietary technologies, such as electronic process interchange (EPI) and Universal Rate Engine, on-demand to providers. For more information about eHealth's eOD program please visit www.ehealth.com/eOD
About Mercy Health Plans and the Sisters of Mercy Health System (Mercy)
Mercy Health Plans (MHP), a subsidiary of the Sisters of Mercy Health System, offers customized health benefit solutions, administrative services and insurance coverage to employer groups, Medicare beneficiaries, individuals and families. Headquartered in Chesterfield, MO, MHP also provides a full spectrum of healthcare management services including health and wellness programs and services as well as disease management services to regions in Missouri, Illinois, Arkansas, Texas, Kansas and Oklahoma. For more information, visit www.mercyhealthplans.com.
The Sisters of Mercy Health System (Mercy) operates hospitals, physician practices, outpatient clinics, health plans and related health and human services in a seven-state area including Arkansas, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma and Texas. Its members include 19 acute care hospitals providing more than 4,000 licensed beds, two heart hospitals, a managed care subsidiary (Mercy Health Plans), physician practices, outpatient care facilities, home health programs, skilled nursing services and long-term care facilities. Services are provided by approximately 31,000 co-workers and 4,600 physicians who are employed or practice at Mercy facilities. Mercy is the ninth largest Catholic healthcare system in the U.S. based on net patient service revenue. It is sponsored by Mercy Health Ministry, an entity established by the Catholic Church to oversee the healing ministry and Catholic identity of Mercy. For more information, visit www.mercy.net.
About eHealth, Inc.:
eHealth, Inc. (NASDAQ: EHTH) is the parent company of eHealthInsurance, the nation's leading online source of health insurance for individuals, families and small businesses. Through the company's website, www.ehealthinsurance.com, consumers can get quotes from leading health insurance carriers, compare plans side by side, and apply for and purchase health insurance. eHealthInsurance offers thousands of health plans underwritten by more than 180 of the nation's health insurance companies. eHealthInsurance is licensed to sell health insurance in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. eHealthInsurance and eHealth are registered trademarks of eHealthInsurance Services, Inc.
Forward-Looking Statements:
This press release contains forward-looking statements as defined within the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These include statements regarding the launch of the eHealth eOD technology platform, the effectiveness of the platform and the ability of the platform to contribute to the growth and success of Mercy Health Plans. These forward-looking statements are inherently subject to various risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the statements made, including risks associated with delays in implementation of the eHealth eOD technology platform; the attractiveness of the platform; system failures, malfunctions, bugs or capacity constraints; the performance, reliability and availability of the platform and their underlying network infrastructure; ecommerce security risks; the success of the relationship between eHealth and Mercy Health Plans; compliance with insurance and other laws and regulations and changes in laws and regulations. Other factors that could cause results to differ are described in eHealth's most recent periodic report as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and available on the investor relations page of eHealth's website at www.ehealthinsurance.com and on the Securities and Exchange Commission's website at www.sec.gov. eHealth does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statement to conform the statement to actual results or changes in expectations.
For more information, please contact:
Nate Purpura
Sr. Public Relations Manager
eHealth, Inc.
(o) 650-210-3116
(c) 805-215-3336
nate.purpura@ehealthinsurance.com
Kimberly Mernovage
Director of Marketing
Mercy Health Plans
(o) 314-214-8506
(c) 561-676-0002
kimberly.mernovage@mercy.net
SOURCE: eHealth, Inc.
mailto:nate.purpura@ehealthinsurance.com
mailto:kimberly.mernovage@mercy.net