eHealth Partners with BerniePortal to Provide Integrated CHOICE Arrangements for Employers and Brokers
Partnership links BerniePortal’s employer and broker network to eHealth’s marketplace to support CHOICE health coverage arrangements.
Rhea-AI Summary
eHealth (EHTH) has formed a partnership with BerniePortal to offer integrated CHOICE health coverage arrangements for employers and brokers.
The arrangement creates a new distribution channel by connecting more than 5,000 employers and over 1,000 insurance brokers on BerniePortal’s platform to eHealth for needs analysis and support with CHOICE options. eHealth’s licensed agents help employees use defined health benefit dollars to buy individual and family plans, with access to hundreds of ACA-compliant options and dedicated onboarding, shopping, and enrollment support. The companies highlight average healthcare cost savings of approximately 17% compared with traditional group plans in selected states.
Positive
- New distribution channel to over 5,000 employers and 1,000 brokers
- Access for employees to hundreds of ACA-compliant individual and family plans
- Company cites average healthcare cost savings of about 17% versus group plans
- Brokers can retain agent-of-record status while using CHOICE arrangements
Negative
- None.
Key Figures
- Employers in BerniePortal network
- More than 5,000 employers
- Could be connected to eHealth for CHOICE options
- Insurance brokers in BerniePortal network
- Over 1,000 brokers
- Could be connected to eHealth for CHOICE options
- Average healthcare cost savings
- Approximately 17%
- eHealth analysis of third-party individual rates versus traditional group plan rates
Previous Partnership Reports
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eHealth and Nexben combined marketplace and ICHRA administration capabilities in a broker-focused partnership.
24h Move is the share-price change in the day after each event; other market factors may also have contributed.
Key Terms
individual coverage health reimbursement arrangements regulatory
aca regulatory
agent-of-record status financial
AI-generated analysis. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.
Partnership expands a new distribution channel for eHealth, helping more employers offer employees a defined contribution toward individual health coverage through the CHOICE model
The partnership expands a new distribution channel for eHealth, enabling more employers and brokers to tap into the company's nearly three decades of experience providing personalized support to consumers shopping for individual and family health plans. Brokers and employees can receive personalized guidance and support from eHealth to better understand their options, shop, and enroll in the health plan that best fits their needs.
Under the partnership, more than 5,000 employers and over 1,000 insurance brokers working with BerniePortal can now be connected to eHealth for a needs analysis and support with reviewing CHOICE options. eHealth's licensed insurance agents then help employees use the health benefit dollars provided to them to purchase and enroll in individual and family health insurance plans, often helping businesses reduce their healthcare costs while meeting the coverage needs of employees. CHOICE Arrangements will be managed through BerniePortal's benefits administration platform, helping provide a seamless experience for employers, brokers, and employees.
"Health benefit costs are one of the biggest pressures employers face today, and CHOICE Arrangements can give them a way to offer meaningful coverage while helping reduce the cost unpredictability associated with a traditional group plan," said Derrick Duke, CEO of eHealth. "BerniePortal already works closely with employers and brokers on the ground. By connecting them directly to our team, we can help more employers evaluate CHOICE Arrangements with confidence and give employees additional coverage choices that meet their individual needs."
"Our brokers tell us they want to offer their clients' employees real choice, but with administrative ease. That's what this partnership seeks to deliver: eHealth brings the individual marketplace capabilities, and BerniePortal helps make CHOICE Arrangements easy to run for the broker and HR," said Alex Tolbert, President of BerniePortal.
Helping employers and benefit brokers deliver CHOICE Arrangements
The partnership is designed to help brokers and employers offer more seamless CHOICE Arrangements, while making it easier for employees to compare coverage options, including:
- Access to hundreds of Affordable Care Act (ACA)-compliant plans, helping provide seamless and accurate enrollments and making it easier for employees to check coverage status.
- Dedicated support for employers and employees, including assisting with onboarding, shopping, and enrolling.
- Flexibility to structure contributions across employee classes and real-time visibility into enrollments and participation rates.
- Average savings of approximately
17% on healthcare costs.2 - Employer and employee education, including training and onboarding support to help provide a smooth transition.
- Ability for brokers to maintain agent-of-record status and preserve client relationships.
1 As of September 3, 2026, the Centers for Medicare and Medicare Services is now referring to Individual Coverage Health Reimbursement Arrangements (ICHRA) as CHOICE arrangements.
2 Based on an eHealth analysis of third-party data on individual rates compared to traditional group plan rates in OH, MN, GA, KY, IN & FL.
About eHealth
For nearly 30 years, eHealth, Inc. (Nasdaq: EHTH) has helped millions of Americans find the healthcare coverage that fits their needs at a price they can afford, using data, artificial intelligence and a consumer-first approach to help people quickly and effectively compare insurance options. As a leading independent licensed insurance agency and advisor, eHealth offers access to plans from more than 180 health insurers, including national and regional companies, supporting consumers during their working years and retirement. eHealth's licensed insurance agents help match consumers with the insurance plans, services, and support they need to live healthier, more financially secure lives. For more information, visit eHealth or follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and X.
eHealth media inquiries: pr@ehealth.com
About BerniePortal
BerniePortal is the HRIS backed by the benefit brokers trusted by small employers nationwide. Created in 2008, its base edition addresses the complete Benefits Lifecycle from Candidate to COBRA. Employers are able to add additional features, all native to the platform, on an a la carte basis. Additional features include payroll, time tracking, PTO tracking, and more. BerniePortal's distribution network of trusted benefit brokers allows it to keep costs down and pass the savings along to its small employer customers.
BerniePortal media inquiries: os@bernieportal.com
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements generally relate to future events or our future financial or operating performance. Forward-looking statements in this press release include, but are not limited to, the following: statements regarding the expected benefits of the partnership between eHealth and BerniePortal; expectations regarding healthcare industry, regulatory and market trends, including market opportunity and consumer demand; expected demand for and adoption of CHOICE arrangements (formerly known as Individual Coverage Health Reimbursement Arrangements (ICHRAs)); expectations regarding employer, broker and employee participation in CHOICE arrangements; expectations regarding distribution opportunities and enrollment growth, and the ability of the partnership to achieve them; expectations regarding services and capabilities offered through the partnership; expected benefits of the partnership and CHOICE arrangements to employers, brokers and employees, including cost savings, administrative efficiencies and improved consumer experiences; and other statements regarding future operations, financial condition, prospects and business strategies of eHealth.
Forward-looking statements are inherently subject to various risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the statements made. The risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements include but are not limited to: changes in laws, regulations and guidance, including those relating to CHOICE arrangements or the Affordable Care Act; market adoption of CHOICE arrangements; the availability and affordability of individual and family health insurance plans; the ability to successfully implement and expand the partnership and realize the anticipated benefits of the partnership; the ability to attract and retain employers, brokers and employees utilizing CHOICE arrangements, and to generate anticipated enrollment volume and distribution opportunities through the partnership; and the possibility that anticipated cost savings, efficiencies and other benefits may not be realized.
Other factors that could cause eHealth's operating, financial and other results to differ are described in eHealth's most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and available on the investor relations page of eHealth's website at http://www.ehealthinsurance.com and on the Securities and Exchange Commission's website at www.sec.gov.
All forward-looking statements in this press release are based on information available to eHealth as of the date hereof, and eHealth does not assume any obligation to update the forward-looking statements provided to reflect events that occur or circumstances that exist after the date on which they were made, except as required by law.
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SOURCE eHealth, Inc.
FAQ
AI-generated questions and answers. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.
What are CHOICE arrangements in this context?
CHOICE, or Custom Health Option and Individual Care Expense Arrangements, are arrangements that allow employers to provide defined contributions employees can use to purchase individual and family health insurance coverage. As of September 3, 2026, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services refer to Individual Coverage Health Reimbursement Arrangements (ICHRA) as CHOICE arrangements.
How will CHOICE arrangements be administered for employers and brokers?
CHOICE arrangements will be managed through BerniePortal’s benefits administration platform, which is described as helping provide a seamless experience for employers, brokers, and employees, including real-time visibility into enrollments and participation rates.
What specific support does eHealth provide under this partnership?
eHealth offers needs analysis for employers and brokers, as well as personalized guidance from licensed insurance agents for employees to understand their options, shop, and enroll in individual and family plans. Support includes onboarding, shopping, enrolling, and education and training to help provide a smooth transition.
Where does the cited 17% average healthcare cost savings come from?
The approximately 17% average savings on healthcare costs is based on an eHealth analysis of third-party data comparing individual plan rates to traditional group plan rates in OH, MN, GA, KY, IN, and FL.