eHealth Inc. hasn't given up hope that the new Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act exchange system will help the company boost sales.
The parent of the eHealthInsurance.com Web-based health insurance supermarket — one of the major popularizers of the idea that the U.S. should have a "Travelocity for health insurance" — is still trying to persuade state and federal PPACA exchange builders to let it help drive business to their programs.
The company already has negotiated a major alliance with a private exchange — a private, Web-based, multi-carrier alternative to the PPACA exchanges.
eHealth executives talked about the company's exchange strategy last week during a conference call with analysts.
EHealth held the call to review second-quarter earnings. The company reported $1.1 million in net income for the quarter on $40 million in revenue, compared with $2.3 million in net income on $36 million in revenue for the second quarter of 2012.
Gary Lauer, eHealth's chairman, said during the call that the company has not yet signed any deals with either the state-run exchanges in states like California or the federally run exchanges in states like Mississippi.
But "we're in deep in the negotiation process with the federal government right now," Lauer said. "The same with many states. As soon as we have news, we'll let you know. We need some things to happen soon, because the clock is ticking."
The PPACA calls for states and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to set up the PPACA exchanges by Jan. 1.
The builders of the exchanges all seem to be working around the clock to get them going, Lauer said.