eHealth CEO Supports Executive Order to Provide Consumers with More Health Insurance Choices and Affordable Options
October 12 2017 - 12:15PM
Business Wire
Scott Flanders, CEO of eHealth, Inc. (NASDAQ: EHTH)
(www.eHealth.com), released the following statement today regarding
the Trump administration’s executive order easing restrictions that
the Affordable Care Act (ACA or Obamacare) placed on the individual
health insurance market.
“This executive order will bring some relief to the nearly eight
million middle-class Americans who pay full price for their health
insurance,” said Mr. Flanders. “Forty-three percent1 of the people
enrolled in Obamacare health insurance plans don’t qualify for
premium tax credits and, as a result, have few or no affordable
options for health coverage.”
A recent analysis from eHealth showed that Obamacare-compliant
health insurance is projected to be unaffordable by the law’s own
standards in many areas of the country. The ACA defines health
insurance as unaffordable when the lowest-priced plan available
costs more than 8.16% of a household’s yearly income.
“Today’s actions by the Trump administration will help consumers
who can’t afford Obamacare plans by giving them lower cost,
longer-term options. Lifting restrictions on short-term insurance
plans, for instance, is a long-overdue step that will help
consumers who are caught in Obamacare’s affordability gap,”
Flanders said.
Mr. Flanders continued: “Today’s actions are a welcome step, but
Congress has more work to do to create a truly competitive and
transparent health insurance market. Congress needs to update our
antiquated 1940s-era tax laws that discriminate against shoppers in
the individual insurance market and reduce barriers to innovation
in state markets.”
“With or without Congress, eHealth and other businesses that
seek to serve customers in the individual market will continue to
innovate to overcome Obamacare’s shortcomings,” Flanders continued.
“Technology and consumer choice will do more to lower costs and
improve access and quality than any one-size-fits-all solution
devised in Washington, no matter how well-intentioned.”
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains statements that are forward-looking
statements as defined within the Private Securities Litigation
Reform Act of 1995. These include statements regarding the Trump
administration’s executive order and the relief it will bring to
middle-class Americans; eHealth’s analysis that a 10 percent
projected price increase in 2018 would make coverage unaffordable
in 47 out of 50 states for middle class families that earn too much
for government subsidies; the potential that the executive order
will help consumers by giving them lower cost and longer-term
options; eHealth’s plan to continue to innovate to overcome
Obamacare’s shortcoming; and the expectation that technology and
consumer choice will lower costs and improve access and
quality. 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 changes in government or regulatory policies,
orders, or actions; changes in health insurance premiums; the
accuracy of eHealth’s analysis and projections; the benefits and
coverages afforded by short-term health insurance and other factors
that could cause operating, financial, and other results to differ,
which are described in eHealth’s most recent Annual Report on Form
10-K or Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed with
the Securities and Exchange Commission and available on
the investor relations page of eHealth’s website
at http://www.ehealthinsurance.com and on the Securities
and Exchange Commission’s website at www.sec.gov. eHealth
undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement to
conform to actual results or changes in intentions or
expectations.
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) and PlanPrescriber.com
(www.PlanPrescriber.com).
For more health insurance news and information, visit
eHealth's Consumer Resource Center.
Notes:
1 NPR: Steep Premiums Challenge People Who Buy Health Insurance
Without Subsidies
View source
version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20171012006035/en/
DMA Communications for eHealth, Inc.Sande Drew,
916-207-7674sande.drew@ehealth.comoreHealth, Inc.Nate Purpura,
650-210-3115nate.purpura@ehealth.com
eHealth (NASDAQ:EHTH)
Historical Stock Chart
From Mar 2024 to Apr 2024
eHealth (NASDAQ:EHTH)
Historical Stock Chart
From Apr 2023 to Apr 2024