A Year of Optimism at eHealth

Fran Soistman, CEO of eHealth, Inc.

If you had to pick one word to describe 2023, what would it be? Set aside global events and politics that may leave you feeling alarmed or unsettled, how would you describe your personal year?

For me, in my role as CEO of eHealth, Inc. , 2023 was the year of “Optimism.”

Optimism is more than crossing your fingers and hoping for the best. Hope is important, but hope isn’t always enough. Optimism is based on a reasonable conviction that you will achieve your goals.

For example, a few years back, Baltimore Orioles fans might have hoped for good things from their team, but there wasn’t much cause for optimism. In 2021, the Orioles closed out the season with only 52 wins for 110 losses. This year, however, they finished the regular season with more than 100 wins, making MLB history as the first team to go from a 110-plus loss season to a 100-plus wins in a three season span. So, despite the Orioles being swiftly eliminated in the playoffs, their fans have good reason to be optimistic about the future.

Similarly, in business, the word “optimism” can only resonate when you’ve assembled your team, started making good on your strategy, and begun to see real progress toward your goals.

I’m happy to say that’s been eHealth’s story throughout 2023.

It was the culmination of a transformation two years in the making. With a revitalized leadership team, we changed the face of eHealth through an exciting rebrand, and we entered Medicare’s Annual Enrollment Period with a completely refreshed marketing approach. We disciplined ourselves strategically and financially and did everything necessary to not simply crawl or walk but run into the future – which is what we must do, because we operate in such a dynamic industry.

Just as importantly, with our “One Team” initiative in 2023 we invested in nurturing a company culture of transparency and mutual support toward the single-minded goal of more effectively serving Medicare beneficiaries and other consumers.

Across the organization we opened lines of communication, built cross-functional relationships, and created new opportunities. As a result, employee satisfaction has increased, attrition rates have dropped, and we’ve seen a tidal wave of excitement and increased productivity.

Our new “AEP Aces” initiative was also a terrific success. In the busy final weeks of Medicare’s Annual Enrollment Period (AEP), managers and executives who don’t normally interact directly with customers volunteered as supplemental phone screeners, listening to beneficiaries, gathering information, and passing them on to licensed agents for personalized help in choosing a plan. It’s a great way to pull together during AEP, and keep our eyes focused on those we serve. It also brought our company mission to life for many as they experienced firsthand the needs and challenges facing America’s Medicare eligibles.

We are looking forward to sharing the results of AEP and Q4 performance early next year but suffice it to say, we gave it our all. eHealth overcame challenges and obstacles, seized opportunities, and made critically important strategic changes to ensure we continued performing at our very best.

I am so proud of the work we have done at eHealth in 2023.

People often ask me why I came out of retirement for this role. I did it because I believe in this company’s mission and its ability to succeed. I believe that all of us at eHealth are doing something vitally important for the consumers we serve, something innovative and exciting for the market, and something rewarding for our investors.

There’s no place I’d rather be, and I can’t wait to see what we accomplish in 2024. I couldn’t be more optimistic about eHealth’s future.