eHealth Survey: Nearly Four in Ten Medicare Beneficiaries Have Skipped or Delayed Care to Save Money

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., Sept. 27, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Concerns about cost may keep Medicare beneficiaries from getting the medical care they need, according to the results of a survey released today by eHealth, Inc. (NASDAQ: EHTH) (eHealth.com). Thirty-seven percent of survey respondents said they had skipped or delayed medical care in the past to save money.

Key findings:

• Out-of-pocket costs are a cause of anxiety for many Medicare enrollees: Half (51 percent) of respondents say they worry about their ability to afford their Medicare deductibles and copayments.
• Women feel less secure in their coverage than men: Women are significantly more concerned than men that they won't be able to afford their Medicare coverage in the future (47 percent vs. 38 percent).
• Lower and higher-income beneficiaries have different concerns: People with incomes greater than $50,000 per year are most likely to be concerned about access to their preferred doctors (47 percent of higher-income respondents), while lower-income respondents are most concerned about paying for deductibles and copayments (56 percent of lower-income respondents).

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

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
[email protected]

Rob WyseCapital Content for eHealth, Inc.
(212) 920-1470
[email protected]

Erin JonesAvista Public Relations and Marketing Group
(704) 664-2170
[email protected]

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SOURCE eHealth, Inc.