With Medicare's Annual Enrollment Period Underway and a Presidential Election Approaching, eHealth Survey Explores Medicare Beneficiaries' Sentiments on Key Issues

SANTA CLARA, Calif., Oct. 29, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Today eHealth, Inc. (NASDAQ: EHTH) (eHealth.com) released results from a new survey of more than 2,100 Medicare beneficiaries on the politics of Medicare and the coronavirus.

Key findings from the survey:

• A majority of Medicare beneficiaries support early buy-in to Medicare: 60% of survey respondents say adults age 60 to 64 should be able to buy in to Medicare coverage earlier than the standard eligibility age of 65.
• Medicare beneficiaries express increasing discomfort with any new coronavirus vaccine: 47% say they are either "very" or "somewhat" uncomfortable receiving a coronavirus vaccine released in the near term, up from 37% in eHealth's July 2020 survey. Notably more Republican voters would feel "very comfortable" getting a vaccine than would Democratic voters (31% vs. 18%, respectively).
• A strong majority of Medicare beneficiaries support mandatory mask rules: 85% say masks should be required in public places where social distancing is difficult; 98% of likely Democratic voters favor mandatory mask rules, as do 69% of likely Republican voters.
• Many Medicare beneficiaries want access to non-standard coronavirus treatments: 40% want access to unproven or experimental treatments if they come down with the coronavirus, while 23% do not; 37% are unsure. College educated respondents are more likely to want access to non-standard treatments than those with only a high school education (45% vs. 33%, respectively).
• Nearly two thirds of Medicare beneficiaries voted early, but they differ on the safety of in-person voting: 64% say they have already cast their vote for president; 67% of likely Republican voters say they would feel comfortable voting in person, compared to only 29% of likely Democratic voters.
• Most Medicare beneficiaries feel the government should do more to lower the cost of drugs, but a $200 check would help: 63% say the government isn't doing enough to lower the cost of prescription drugs; a similar figure (64%) say a $200 check from the government would make a meaningful difference in their personal drug costs.

Read the full survey report.

Findings presented in eHealth's report are based on a voluntary survey of Medicare beneficiaries who purchased Medicare health insurance products from eHealth. The survey was conducted between October 23 and 26, 2020, and a total of 2,176 responses were collected. Survey findings are intended to reflect the opinions of respondents only and do not imply endorsement of those opinions by eHealth. Additional insights from prior surveys of this audience may be found through eHealth's Media Center at https://news.ehealthinsurance.com/research.

About eHealth

eHealth, Inc. (NASDAQ: EHTH) operates a leading health insurance marketplace at eHealth.com and eHealthMedicare.com with technology that provides consumers with health insurance enrollment solutions. Since 1997, we have connected more than 8 million members with quality, affordable health insurance, Medicare options, and ancillary plans. Our proprietary marketplace offers Medicare Advantage, Medicare Supplement, Medicare Part D prescription drug, individual, family, small business and other plans from over 180 health insurance carriers across fifty states and the District of Columbia.

Media inquiries:

Lara Sasken
Vice President, Corporate Communications
[email protected]

SOURCE eHealth, Inc.