eHealth is a licensed online insurance brokerage that lets you compare and enroll in Medicare plans from your computer or phone. It is not a government website and not part of Medicare itself. Instead, it works as an independent marketplace where you can browse plans from over 180 insurance carriers, see estimated costs side by side, and sign up for coverage without paying eHealth anything. The company makes its money from commissions paid by the insurers, not from you.
How eHealth Works
The basic process starts with entering your ZIP code. eHealth then pulls up every Medicare plan available in your area and lets you filter by plan type, monthly premium, or specific benefits. You can compare plans on screen, narrow down your options, and enroll online if you find something that fits. The service is free with no obligation to enroll.
eHealth also offers access to licensed insurance agents by phone if you prefer talking through your options with a real person rather than navigating the site on your own. This is especially useful if you’re new to Medicare or switching plans for the first time, since the number of available options in most areas can be overwhelming.
Types of Plans Available
eHealth covers three main categories of Medicare coverage:
- Medicare Advantage (Part C): These are all-in-one plans from private insurers that replace Original Medicare. They typically bundle hospital, medical, and often prescription drug coverage into a single plan, and many include extras like dental, vision, or hearing benefits. On eHealth, you can filter Advantage plans by network type, including HMO, PPO, and Special Needs Plans.
- Medicare Supplement Insurance (Medigap): These policies help cover out-of-pocket costs that Original Medicare doesn’t pay, like copays, coinsurance, and deductibles. Medigap plans are standardized by letter (Plan G, Plan N, etc.), so the coverage is identical regardless of which insurer sells it. The difference is price, which is exactly where a comparison tool is useful.
- Part D Prescription Drug Plans: Standalone drug coverage for people who stick with Original Medicare rather than switching to Medicare Advantage. Each Part D plan has its own formulary (list of covered drugs) and its own cost structure, so comparing them based on the specific medications you take can save hundreds of dollars a year.
What eHealth Is Not
A common point of confusion: eHealth is not Medicare.gov, the official government site run by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Medicare.gov is the federal portal where you can also compare and enroll in plans. eHealth is a private company, publicly traded on the NASDAQ, that operates as a licensed insurance agency.
This distinction matters for a couple of reasons. First, eHealth may not show every single plan available in your area. While it partners with over 180 insurers nationally, some carriers may not participate on its platform. Second, because eHealth earns commissions from insurers, the way plans are displayed could reflect business relationships rather than pure neutrality. That said, you’ll never pay more for a plan purchased through eHealth than you would buying the same plan directly from the insurer or through Medicare.gov. Medicare plan pricing is standardized regardless of where you enroll.
Who Benefits Most From Using It
eHealth is particularly helpful if you want to see a large number of options in one place without calling individual insurance companies. People who are turning 65 and entering Medicare for the first time often find the comparison tools valuable because they have no baseline for what coverage should cost or include. The same goes for anyone during the Annual Enrollment Period (October 15 through December 7) who wants to switch plans for the following year.
If you already know exactly which plan you want, you can just as easily enroll through Medicare.gov or directly through the insurer’s website. eHealth’s value is in the comparison shopping, not in offering exclusive plans you can’t get elsewhere. Think of it the way you’d think of a travel booking site: it aggregates options to save you time, but the flights and hotels exist whether or not you use that site.
Limitations to Keep in Mind
Because eHealth is a brokerage, the agents you speak with represent multiple carriers rather than being specialists in any single insurer’s products. For straightforward plan comparisons this works fine, but if you have a complex medical situation or need detailed guidance on how a specific plan handles a particular treatment, you may want to follow up directly with the insurance company.
eHealth also can’t help with Original Medicare enrollment itself. Signing up for Medicare Parts A and B happens through the Social Security Administration. eHealth only enters the picture after you have Original Medicare and want to add or switch supplemental coverage, drug plans, or Medicare Advantage.