eHealth is an online health insurance marketplace that lets you compare Medicare Advantage, Medicare Supplement, Part D prescription, individual, family, and small business health plans from hundreds of carriers in one place. Rather than selling its own insurance, eHealth is a licensed agency that earns its commission from the carriers, so the comparison is free for consumers. The company has been in business since 1997 and is publicly traded on NASDAQ.
Key specs
- Type: Online health and Medicare insurance marketplace (free to consumers)
- Plans covered: Medicare Advantage, Medicare Supplement, Part D, individual, family, dental, vision, short-term, small business
- Carriers: Hundreds of insurance carriers across all 50 states
- Cost to consumer: Free (eHealth earns commission from the carriers)
- Founded: 1997
- Stock: NASDAQ: EHTH
How it works
Enter your zip code and basic details on the eHealth website. The platform pulls plans available in your area, lets you filter by premium, deductible, network, and prescription coverage, and shows side-by-side comparisons. You can enroll directly online or talk to a licensed eHealth agent by phone for help comparing options. For Medicare, the agent walks through Original Medicare versus Advantage versus Supplement, and helps you understand how Part D prescription coverage fits with your existing medications and doctors.
Why it stands out
Health insurance shopping is normally split across the carrier sites, the federal Healthcare.gov exchange, and state Medicare resources, with no single place to compare like-for-like. eHealth pulls those into one searchable interface and adds licensed agent support if you want a human walkthrough rather than self-service.
The Medicare side is the most useful piece for the 60-and-up audience. Picking between Medicare Advantage, Medicare Supplement, and standalone Part D plans is genuinely complicated and the wrong choice can cost thousands per year or lock you out of better plans later. eHealth's licensed agents do this comparison every day and the service is free regardless of which plan you choose.
Pros
- Free to use, no cost to the consumer
- Compares Medicare and ACA plans from hundreds of carriers
- Licensed agents available for one-on-one Medicare guidance
- Side-by-side comparison of premiums, deductibles, networks, and drug coverage
- In business since 1997, publicly traded (NASDAQ: EHTH)
- Supports enrollment online or by phone
Cons
- Not all carriers participate, so the comparison is not exhaustive
- Plans available depend on your zip code and eligibility
- Final pricing for individual plans can shift during open enrollment
- Outside open enrollment, options are limited unless you have a qualifying life event
Who is it for
eHealth is most valuable for adults turning 65 who are choosing a Medicare plan for the first time, current Medicare beneficiaries reviewing options during annual enrollment, and individuals or families shopping for coverage outside an employer. It is especially practical for people who want to compare carriers without contacting each one separately or who want a licensed agent on the phone instead of working through Healthcare.gov alone.
The bottom line
eHealth removes most of the friction from comparing Medicare and individual health plans by doing the cross-carrier shopping in one place at no cost. The licensed agent support is genuinely useful for Medicare decisions where the wrong choice has lasting financial consequences. As a publicly traded company in business since 1997, it is one of the longest-running independent health insurance marketplaces in the United States.