83 Percent of Medicare Beneficiaries Want Caps on Drug Costs to Secure Medicare’s Future, According to eHealth Survey

PR Newswire

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., Oct. 31, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- In a year when Medicare's Annual Enrollment Period overlaps nationwide with midterm elections, 83 percent of Medicare beneficiaries believe the best way to ensure the future of the program is to place limits on prescription drug costs, according to survey results released today by eHealth, Inc. (NASDAQ: EHTH), which operates Medicare.com.

"Our survey shows that Medicare beneficiaries have specific ideas about what needs to be done to save Medicare, and they're bringing their concerns with them to the voting booth," said eHealth CEO Scott Flanders. "Elected officials should listen carefully, because Medicare beneficiaries are particularly motivated voters: 71 percent of people age 65 and older voted in 2016, compared to only 46 percent of people between the ages of 18 and 29*."

Additional findings from eHealth's survey:

Medicare beneficiaries' concerns may impact their vote: A combined total of 87 percent of all voter respondents said that health care/insurance was either their number one issue or at least a top three issue when it comes to voting in the midterm election.
Most think Medicare is in trouble: A majority (56 percent) of respondents say they do not believe the Medicare program will survive their own generation; another 26 percent only expect it to survive another generation or two.
Fewer than one-third support a broad expansion of Medicare: 31 percent of respondents believe that all Americans should have access to Medicare-like coverage.

Additional information and analysis are provided in eHealth's report.

eHealth's findings are based on an August 2018 survey of Medicare beneficiaries age 65 and older who purchased a Medicare insurance product through one of eHealth's websites. A total of 1,020 Medicare beneficiaries participated in the voluntary, anonymous survey. Additional findings from the same survey were previously published.

Notes:

* Source: AARP Bulletin, May 2018

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).