eHealth Report: New Medicare Open Enrollment Period Marked by Strong Consumer Interest and Lower Average Medicare Advantage Costs

SANTA CLARA, Calif., June 4, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Today eHealth, Inc. (NASDAQ: EHTH) (eHealth.com) released a report on costs, trends, and sentiments among Medicare consumers during the recent open enrollment period (January through March 2019).

The newly reinstated open enrollment period allowed Medicare Advantage enrollees for the first time since 2011 to switch from one Medicare Advantage plan to another, to drop Medicare Advantage and return to Original Medicare (Part A and B) and, if they chose, to enroll in a Part D plan. 

eHealth's report is based on consumers that purchased Medicare Advantage plans or Part D prescription drug plans in that time period. It also includes results from a survey of 579 eHealth customers who purchased a Medicare insurance plan from eHealth during open enrollment.

Highlights from the report include:

• Medicare consumers show strong interest during the new open enrollment period. eHealth received 87 percent more Medicare Advantage and Part D plan applications during the most recent open enrollment period (January through March 2019) than it did over the same period the year before.
• Average Medicare Advantage premiums dropped by 33 percent. The average monthly premium for Medicare Advantage plans selected at eHealth between January and March 2019 was $8, compared to $12 for the same period the year before; average out-of-pocket limits decreased 11 percent.
• Half of enrollees were previously unaware of the open enrollment period. Fifty-one percent of eHealth survey respondents were unaware of the new open enrollment opportunity before reviewing their coverage options; 38 percent learned about it only after contacting an agent or broker, while 31 percent learned about it from a news source.

Read the full report.

About eHealth
eHealth, Inc. (NASDAQ: EHTH) owns eHealth.com, a leading private online health insurance exchange where individuals, families and small businesses can compare health insurance products from brand-name insurers side by side and purchase and enroll in coverage online and over the phone. eHealth offers thousands of individual, family and small business health plans underwritten by many of the nation's leading health insurance companies. eHealth (through its subsidiaries) is licensed to sell health insurance in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. eHealth also offers educational resources, exceptional telephonic support, and powerful online and pharmacy-based tools to help Medicare beneficiaries navigate Medicare health insurance options, choose the right plan and enroll in select plans online or over the phone through Medicare.com (www.Medicare.com), eHealthMedicare.com (www.eHealthMedicare.com), GoMedigap (www.goMedigap.com) and PlanPrescriber.com (www.PlanPrescriber.com).

For media inquiries, please contact: 

Sande Drew  
DMA Communications for eHealth, Inc.
(916) 207-7674
sande.drew@gmail.com

Lisa Zamosky
Senior Director Communications, eHealth, Inc.
(917) 751-0232
lisa.zamosky@ehealth.com

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SOURCE eHealth, Inc.