eHealth, Inc., parent company of eHealthInsurance, has announced that The IHC Group, an affiliated group of insurance carriers, marketing and administrative companies and agencies providing groups and individuals with insurance solutions, will deploy its eHealth Technology platform to drive the online sales for its Medicare Supplement products across 16 states. Medicare Supplement products will be distributed through eHealth's online Medicare retail sites, eHealthMedicare.com, and PlanPrescriber.com.
IHC's decision to deploy the eHealth Technology platform will coincide with its initiative to deliver consumers with Medicare Supplement products directly. Madison National Life Insurance Company, Inc., and New York based Standard Security Life Insurance Company are the underwriters of Medicare Supplement insurance.
In a release, eHealth Technology Vice President Bill Hanis, said, "We're pleased to help IHC expand their business into the very important Medicare market by powering their launch with our online platform. The same technology we've used to transform the way individual and family health insurance products are purchased will serve seniors in these states to help them select and enroll in a Medicare Supplement product that best meets their needs and budget."
Seniors and caregivers will now be able to access this new product through various channels in addition to enjoying the flexibility of shopping for plans either by looking up an IHC broker or online. Brokers of IHC will be able to deliver consumers with in-person and or telephonic service in addition to being able to access online quotes and comparison resources with Broker Exchange technology tool from eHealth.
IHC is planning to launch The Medicare Supplement products across Georgia, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Kansas, Michigan, Mississippi, North Carolina, New York, Ohio, Kentucky, Louisiana, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas and across Virginia as well as West Virginia.
Brian Dow, Senior Vice President of eCommerce and Business Development at IHC, said that, "While seniors, especially Boomers, may want to start their Medicare search online, many will want to complete it by working with an agent -- either in person or over the phone. Having multiple distribution points -- online and offline -- will be an advantage for IHC as we aggressively enter this market. And by supporting our brokers with eHealth's Broker Exchange technology, we give them the advantage of adding online capabilities to their relationship-based business."
Calvin Azuri is a contributing editor for HealthTechZone. To read more of Calvin’s articles, please visit his columnist page.Edited by
Rich Steeves
