EHealthInsurance

Last updated
eHealth, Inc.
Type Public company
Nasdaq:  EHTH
IndustryInsurance
Founded1997;26 years ago (1997)
Headquarters Santa Clara, California
Key people
Fran Soistman, CEO
Christine Janofsky, CFO
Products Health Insurance
RevenueIncrease2.svg $251 million (2018)
Decrease2.svg $1 million (2018)
Total assets Increase2.svg $439 million (2018)
Total equity Increase2.svg $303 million (2018)
Number of employees
1,079 (2018)
Website www.ehealthinsurance.com
www.medicare.com
www.gomedigap.com
www.planprescriber.com
www.ehealthmedicare.com
Footnotes /references
[1]

eHealth, Inc. dba eHealthInsurance is a private online marketplace for health insurance, organized in Delaware and based in Santa Clara, California. The company primarily provides plans related to Medicare such as prescription drug plans, Medigap, and Medicare Advantage plans. The company also sells individual plans, competing with health insurance marketplaces. [1] [2] The company sells plans in all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia from 170 health insurance carriers. Its large staff of licensed agents assist consumers with little or no computer experience with their online enrollments.

Contents

The company has a corporate office in Santa Clara, California, and satellite offices in Gold River, California, Salt Lake City, Utah, Austin, Texas and Indianapolis, Indiana.

History

eHealth, Inc. was founded in 1997. [1]

In 2006, the company became a public company via an initial public offering. [3]

In 2010, eHealth acquired PlanPrescriber, Inc. for $28.7 million in cash. PlanPrescriber provides tools to help people choose the right Medicare plan. [4] [5]

In 2013, eHealth, along with other "web brokers", signed deals with Healthcare.gov to enroll subsidy-eligible consumers in the newly approved health plans offered through the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. [6]

In 2014, eHealth acquired the Medicare.com domain name for $4.8 million. [7]

In March 2015, the company announced 72 layoffs, with plans to lay off 160 people. [8]

In May 2016, the company appointed Scott Flanders, a director of the company since 2008, as CEO. Former CEO Gary Lauer continued in an advisory role through the end of 2016. [9]

In August 2016, eHealth announced that it had insured 5 million people. [10]

In 2017, the company said it rejected takeover offers. [11]

In 2018, eHealth acquired GoMedigap, a consumer acquisition and engagement electronic platform tailored to Medigap insurance. [12]

In 2019 eHealth announced the development of an Eastern Headquarters in Indianapolis, Indiana. [13]

In March 2020, eHealth announced its follow-on public offering of 1,800,000 shares, priced at $115/share, of its common stock, designed to raise an additional $207M. Three days later they announced the closing of the offering, with the 275,000 share option also having been exercised, raising a net proceeds of approximately $227.5 million after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and the estimated expenses of the offering. [14] [15]

In November 2021, eHealth appointed Fran Soistman as CEO. Former CEO Scott Flanders continued in an advisory role through the end of 2021. [16]

Political involvement

In 2013, eHealth's former CEO, Gary Lauer encouraged governors that are planning to create their own online healthcare marketplaces to adopt a cost-free enrollment strategy. [17]

In 2015, eHealth's former CEO, Gary Lauer advocated reforms to help the middle-class afford health insurance. [18]

In 2017, eHealth CEO Scott Flanders argued publicly for changes to the Affordable Care Act in order to lower costs for self-employed, middle-class workers who cannot afford health insurance. [19]

Related Research Articles

Medigap refers to various private health insurance plans sold to supplement Medicare in the United States. Medigap insurance provides coverage for many of the co-pays and some of the co-insurance related to Medicare-covered hospital, skilled nursing facility, home health care, ambulance, durable medical equipment, and doctor charges. Medigap's name is derived from the notion that it exists to cover the difference or "gap" between the expenses reimbursed to providers by Medicare Parts A and B for services and the total amount allowed to be charged for those services by the United States Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).

WellCare Health Plans, Inc. is an American health insurance company that provides managed care services primarily through Medicaid, Medicare Advantage and Medicare Prescription Drug plans for members across the United States.

Health insurance in the United States is any program that helps pay for medical expenses, whether through privately purchased insurance, social insurance, or a social welfare program funded by the government. Synonyms for this usage include "health coverage", "health care coverage", and "health benefits". In a more technical sense, the term "health insurance" is used to describe any form of insurance providing protection against the costs of medical services. This usage includes both private insurance programs and social insurance programs such as Medicare, which pools resources and spreads the financial risk associated with major medical expenses across the entire population to protect everyone, as well as social welfare programs like Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program, which both provide assistance to people who cannot afford health coverage.

In the United States, health insurance marketplaces, also called health exchanges, are organizations in each state through which people can purchase health insurance. People can purchase health insurance that complies with the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act at ACA health exchanges, where they can choose from a range of government-regulated and standardized health care plans offered by the insurers participating in the exchange.

Members of the United States population between the ages of 18 and 29 who decide that it is in their financial best interest to forgo health insurance are sometimes referred to as young invincibles by the insurance industry, a term coined to express the idea that the young demographic perceives themselves as immune to sickness and injury. The argument is that these individuals are young and in good health, so they have a low risk of experiencing substantial health issues that would lead to large amounts of spending on health care. Further, this group tends to have a mentality of “it won’t happen to me” with regards to most causes of injury. Together, these beliefs lead to the young invincibles not purchasing insurance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Affordable Care Act</span> U.S. federal statute also known as Obamacare

The Affordable Care Act (ACA), formally known as the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and colloquially known as Obamacare, is a landmark U.S. federal statute enacted by the 111th United States Congress and signed into law by President Barack Obama on March 23, 2010. Together with the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 amendment, it represents the U.S. healthcare system's most significant regulatory overhaul and expansion of coverage since the enactment of Medicare and Medicaid in 1965.

Molina Healthcare is a managed care company headquartered in Long Beach, California, United States. The company provides health insurance to individuals through government programs such as Medicaid and Medicare.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scott Flanders</span> American businessperson

Scott N. Flanders is an American corporate executive in the media, entertainment and technology industries. He is currently chief executive officer and long-term member of the board of directors at eHealth, Inc., a role he assumed on May 31, 2016. He formerly served as CEO of Playboy Enterprises, and held CEO positions at Macmillan Publishers, Telstreet, Freedom Communications, and Columbia House.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Covered California</span> Health insurance marketplace in California, U.S.

Covered California is the health insurance marketplace in the U.S. state of California established under the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA). The exchange enables eligible individuals and small businesses to purchase private health insurance coverage at federally subsidized rates. It is administered by an independent agency of the government of California.

Washington Healthplanfinder is one of the fourteen health insurance marketplaces in the United States and was created in accordance with the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, commonly referred to as Obamacare.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">HealthCare.gov</span> Health insurance exchange website

HealthCare.gov is a health insurance exchange website operated by the United States federal government under the provisions of the Affordable Care Act or ACA, commonly referred to as “Obamacare”, which currently serves the residents of the U.S. states which have opted not to create their own state exchanges. The exchange facilitates the sale of private health insurance plans to residents of the United States and offers subsidies to those who earn between one and four times the federal poverty line, but not to those earning less than the federal poverty line. The website also assists those persons who are eligible to sign up for Medicaid, and has a separate marketplace for small businesses.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">DC Health Link</span> Health insurance marketplace

DC Health Link is the health insurance marketplace for the District of Columbia, created pursuant to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. DC Health Link is administered by the District's Health Benefit Exchange Authority.

Patient navigators educate and assist United States citizens in enrolling into health benefit plans stipulated in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA). Patient navigators are also called "insurance navigators" or "in-person assisters" who have defined roles under the ACA. Although their roles might overlap, patient navigators are not community health workers or health advocates. "Navigators" work in states with Federally-Facilitated Exchanges (FFEs) or State Partnership Exchanges.

HealthSherpa is a California-based technology company focused on connecting individuals with health coverage. The site was initially developed as an alternative to research plans from Healthcare.gov.

Oscar Health, Inc. is an American health insurance company, founded in 2012 by Joshua Kushner, Kevin Nazemi and Mario Schlosser, and is headquartered in New York City. The company focuses on the health insurance industry through telemedicine, healthcare focused technological interfaces, and transparent claims pricing systems which would make it easier for patients to navigate.

A private exchange, also known as a private benefits exchange or private health care exchange, is an online store or health insurance marketplace where employees or retirees purchase health insurance and other benefits, typically using funds contributed by their employer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bright Health</span> American health insurance company

Bright Health is an American health insurance company based in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, often shortened to the Affordable Care Act (ACA) or nicknamed Obamacare, is a United States federal statute enacted by the 111th United States Congress and signed into law by President Barack Obama on March 23, 2010. Together with the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 amendment, it represents the U.S. healthcare system's most significant regulatory overhaul and expansion of coverage since the passage of Medicare and Medicaid in 1965. Once the law was signed, provisions began taking effect, in a process that continued for years. Some provisions never took effect, while others were deferred for various periods.

Enhanced Direct Enrollment (EDE) is a provision in the United States that allows certain private entities, including insurance carriers and web-brokers, to directly enroll consumers in Qualified Health Plans through the Health Insurance Marketplace without redirecting consumers to Healthcare.gov. Approved EDE partners may access a suite of APIs which allow them to directly submit and update applications on the federal exchange.

GoHealth is a marketplace for Medicare plans including Medicare Advantage, MediGap and Medicare Part D, which are programs administered through private health insurance companies. It also operates an online health insurance marketplace offering individual health insurance and short-term health insurance.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "eHealth, Inc. 2018 Form 10-K Annual Report". U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
  2. Applyby, Julie (September 4, 2009). "Health Care: Lowering costs for old could raise them for young". USA Today .
  3. MANTELL, RUTH (October 12, 2006). "Ehealth 5-mln-share IPO prices at $14 each". Marketwatch .
  4. "eHealth, Inc. Announces Acquisition of PlanPrescriber, Inc" (Press release). eHealth. May 3, 2010.
  5. CONN, JOSEPH (May 5, 2010). "eHealth acquires PlanPrescriber for $28.7 million". Modern Healthcare .
  6. Mangin, Dan (July 31, 2013). "Insurance exchange deal signed with Web insurer sites". CNBC .
  7. BERKENS, MICHAEL (May 2, 2014). "Publicly Held eHealth Purchases Medicare.com For $4.8 Million". The Domains.
  8. Robertson, Kathy (March 19, 2015). "Online insurance company eHealth lays off 72 in Gold River". American City Business Journals .
  9. "eHealth Appoints Scott Flanders as Chief Executive Officer" (Press release). eHealth. May 31, 2016.
  10. "eHealth Milestone: Over 5 Million Americans have been insured through the nation's first & largest private online health insurance exchange" (Press release). eHealth. August 8, 2016.
  11. Bell, Allison (March 27, 2017). "Web-based health broker to stay independent, for now". ThinkProgress .
  12. "eHealth, Inc. Announces Acquisition of GoMedigap to Further Accelerate Expansion of Medicare Supplement Strategy" (Press release). Business Wire. January 16, 2018.
  13. "eHealth Announces the Opening of New Eastern Headquarters in Indianapolis, Indiana". eHealth Newsroom. Retrieved 2021-03-18.
  14. "eHealth, Inc. Prices Follow-On Offering of Common Stock | eHealth, Inc". ir.ehealthinsurance.com. Retrieved 2021-03-18.
  15. "eHealth, Inc. Announces Closing of Public Offering of Common Stock and Full Exercise of the Underwriters' Option to Purchase Additional Shares | eHealth, Inc". ir.ehealthinsurance.com. Retrieved 2021-03-18.
  16. "eHealth Announces Leadership Transition" (Press release). eHealth. September 23, 2021.
  17. "eHealth CEO Gary Lauer Challenges Governors: If Uncle Sam Offers Cost-Free Enrollment Using Private Online Health Care Marketplaces, Then Why Not the States?" (Press release). eHealth. May 14, 2013.
  18. Lauer, Gary (November 18, 2015). "Presidential candidates should pledge to make Obamacare affordable for the middle-class". The Hill .
  19. "EHealth CEO: Obamacare didn't start with the consumer in mind". Fox Business. February 17, 2017.