MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA--(Marketwire - Apr 2, 2012) - Today eHealthInsurance (NASDAQ: [ EHTH ]), the leading online source of [ health insurance ] for individuals, families and small businesses, announced its sponsorship of [ TheSelfEmployed.com ], a new website providing business advice for professionals starting their own companies or freelancing or contracting for the first time. eHealthInsurance partnered with Steve Strauss, USA Today's small business columnist, to co-sponsor the development and launch of the site.

As a part of its ongoing sponsorship, eHealthInsurance will provide featured content in the website's "Insurance" section. The company will publish helpful articles on a regular basis as a resource for self-employed professionals who are tackling the process of buying their own health insurance, many for the first time. Visitors to TheSelfEmployed.com can follow links to eHealthInsurance.com to explore their health insurance options and find the right coverage for their needs.

Through the economic ups and downs of the past several years, a great deal of attention has been focused on the opportunities available to self-employed entrepreneurs. According to numbers recently released by the [ Bureau of Labor Statistics ], over 14 million Americans are currently self-employed. Additionally, a recent [ Gallup poll ] shows that fewer Americans are getting health insurance through their employer. Individually-purchased health insurance differs from group insurance in many ways, so new entrepreneurs or freelancers may face a steep learning curve when choosing the right coverage to protect their own best business asset: their health.

"With more workers buying health insurance on their own, without the benefit of an HR department holding their hand through the enrollment process, eHealthInsurance has been looking for new ways to educate and inform self-employed professionals," said Brian Mast, eHealthInsurance Vice President of Communications. "Steve Strauss has a strong following and years of experience in the small business space. We're excited to join him in developing a relevant and engaging resource like TheSelfEmployed.com for professionals to use every day."

"In the past generation there has been a transformation of work and technology that has enabled more people than ever to become freelancers and join the self-employed revolution. But those first few days and months after becoming self-employed are a critical learning curve for all things related to the initial and long-term success of your business," said Steve Strauss, small business expert for USA Today. "The fact is, when people become self-employed, they may know a lot about the particular business they are going into, but more often than not they don't know a lot about business itself. What do you do when you own your own business, or want to, and don't know much about marketing, advertising, insurance, taxes and the rest? That's where TheSelfEmployed.com comes in, and I'm proud to be working with eHealthInsurance on this important resource."

Joining eHealthInsurance in sponsoring TheSelfEmployed.com are Elance, Greatland and SCORE. Additional sections of the site focus on finding work, utilizing technology for your business, marketing strategy, managing taxes and finances, dealing with legal issues, and other topics.

• To visit the new website, go to [ http://www.theselfemployed.com ]
• To visit the insurance section sponsored by eHealthInsurance, go to [ http://theselfemployed.com/category/insurance/ ]

About eHealth
eHealth, Inc. (NASDAQ: [ EHTH ]) is the parent company of eHealthInsurance, the nation's leading online source of [ health insurance for individuals ], families and small businesses. Through the company's website, [ www.eHealthInsurance.com ], consumers can get quotes from leading health insurance carriers, compare plans side by side, and apply for and purchase health insurance. eHealthInsurance offers thousands of individual, family and small business health plans underwritten by more than 180 of the nation's leading health insurance companies. eHealthInsurance is licensed to sell health insurance in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, making it the ideal model of a successful, high-functioning [ health insurance exchange ]. Through the company's eHealthTechnology solution ([ www.eHealthTechnology.com ]), eHealth is also a leading provider of health insurance exchange technology. eHealthTechnology's exchange platform provides a suite of hosted e-commerce solutions that enable health plan providers, resellers and government entities to market and distribute products online. eHealth, Inc. also provides powerful online and pharmacy-based tools to help seniors navigate Medicare health insurance options, choose the right plan and enroll in select plans online through its wholly-owned subsidiary, PlanPrescriber.com ([ www.planprescriber.com ]) and through its Medicare website [ www.eHealthMedicare.com ].

For more health insurance news and information, visit the eHealthInsurance consumer blog: [ Get Smart - Get Covered ].