Summary of Business and Significant Accounting Policies (Policy)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2017

Description of Business — eHealth, Inc. (the “Company,” “eHealth,” “we” or “us”) is a leading private health insurance exchange for individuals, families and small businesses in the United States. Through our website addresses (www.eHealth.com, www.eHealthInsurance.com, www.eHealthMedicare.com, www.Medicare.com, www.PlanPrescriber.com and www.GoMedigap.com), consumers can get quotes from leading health insurance carriers, compare plans side-by-side, and apply for and purchase Medicare-related, individual and family, small business and ancillary health insurance plans. We actively market the availability of Medicare-related insurance plans and offer Medicare plan comparison tools and educational materials for Medicare-related insurance plans, including Medicare Advantage, Medicare Supplement and Medicare Part D prescription drug plans. Our ecommerce technology also enables us to deliver consumers’ health insurance applications electronically to health insurance carriers. We are licensed to market and sell health insurance in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

Compensation — Stock Compensation (Topic 718) — In May 2017, the FASB issued ASU No. 2017-09, Compensation—Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Scope of Modification Accounting, which provides guidance about which changes to the terms or conditions of a share-based payment award require an entity to apply modification accounting in Topic 718. ASU 2017-09 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017 and interim periods within those fiscal years. ASU 2017-09 is to be applied on a prospective basis to an award modified on or after the adoption date. We adopted ASU 2017-09 in the first quarter of 2018 and the adoption of this new standard to have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements.

Goodwill Impairment (Topic 350) — In January 2017, the FASB issued ASU No. 2017-04, Simplifying the Test for Goodwill Impairment (Topic 350). Under the new standard, goodwill impairment would be measured as the amount by which a reporting unit’s carrying value exceeds its fair value, not to exceed the carrying value of goodwill. This ASU eliminates existing guidance that requires an entity to determine goodwill impairment by calculating the implied fair value of goodwill by hypothetically assigning the fair value of a reporting unit to all of its assets and liabilities as if that reporting unit had been acquired in a business combination. The new standard is effective for annual periods, and interim periods within those annual periods, beginning after December 15, 2019 with early adoption permitted for annual goodwill impairment tests performed after January 1, 2017. The standard must be applied prospectively. Upon adoption, the standard will impact how we assess goodwill for impairment. We do not expect ASU 2017-04 will have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements.

Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230) — In November 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-18, Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230): Restricted Cash, which clarifies guidance on the classification and presentation of restricted cash in the statement of cash flows. Under the ASU, changes in restricted cash and restricted cash equivalents would be included along with those of cash and cash equivalents in the statement of cash flows. As a result, entities would no longer present transfers between cash/equivalents and restricted cash/equivalents in the statement of cash flows. In addition, a reconciliation between the balance sheet and the statement of cash flows would be disclosed when the balance sheet includes more than one line item for cash/equivalents and restricted cash/equivalents. ASU 2016-18 was effective for us beginning on January 1, 2018 and was applied on a retrospective basis. The adoption of this new standard did not have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements.

In August 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-15, Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230): Classification of Certain Cash Receipts and Cash Payments. ASU 2016-15 provides guidance on how certain cash receipts and cash payments are presented on the statement of cash flows. ASU 2016-15 is effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2017. We will adopt ASU 2016-15 in the first quarter of 2018 and we do not expect the adoption of this new standard will have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements.

Leases (Topic 842) — In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842). ASU 2016-02 requires lessees to recognize a right-of-use asset and lease liability for all leases with terms of more than 12 months. Recognition, measurement, and presentation of expenses will depend on classification as a finance or operating lease; for lessors, the guidance modifies the classification criteria and the accounting for sales-type and direct finance leases. The guidance also eliminates existing real estate-specific provisions for all entities. The new standard is effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2018, including interim periods within that reporting period. Early adoption is permitted. We are currently considering our timing of adoption and are in the process of evaluating the impact of the adoption of ASU 2016-02 on our consolidated financial statements.

Adoption of New Accounting Standard — Effective January 1, 2018, we adopted the requirements of Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") No. 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606), as discussed in detail below under Adoption of New Accounting Standards using the full retrospective method, which requires adjusting prior periods as if Topic 606 had been in effect as of the beginning of the earliest period presented. Thus, the accompanying consolidated balance sheets as of December 31, 2017 and 2016 as well as the accompanying statements of comprehensive income, stockholders’ equity, and cash flows for the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016, and 2015 have been adjusted to reflect the adoption of Topic 606 as have all related disclosures, including segment information. See “Revenue Recognition” below for additional information on ASU 2014-09 and Note 10 “Adoption Impact of New Revenue Standard” for further discussion of the adoption and the impact on our previously reported historical results.

Principles of Consolidation

Principles of Consolidation — The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of eHealth, Inc. and its wholly-owned subsidiaries. All intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. The consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles.

Operating Segments

Operating Segments — We report segment information based on how our chief executive officer, who is our chief operating decision maker ("CODM"), regularly reviews our operating results, allocates resources and makes decisions regarding our business operations. The performance measures of our segments include total revenue and profit (loss). Our business structure is comprised of two operating segments:

•Medicare and

•Individual, Family and Small Business

The Medicare segment consists primarily of commissions earned from our sale of Medicare-related health insurance plans, including Medicare Advantage, Medicare Supplement and Medicare Part D prescription drug plans, and to a lesser extent, ancillary products sold to our Medicare-eligible customers, including but not limited to, dental and vision insurance, as well as our advertising program that allows Medicare-related carriers to purchase advertising on a separate website developed, hosted and maintained by us and our delivery and sale to third parties of Medicare-related health insurance leads generated by our ecommerce platforms and our marketing activities.

The Individual, Family and Small Business segment consists primarily of commissions earned from our sale of individual and family and small business health insurance plans and ancillary products sold to our non-Medicare-eligible customers, including but not limited to, dental, vision, life, short term disability and long term disability insurance. To a lesser extent, the Individual, Family and Small Business segment consists of amounts earned from our online sponsorship program that allows carriers to purchase advertising space in specific markets in a sponsorship area on our website, our licensing to third parties the use of our health insurance ecommerce technology and our delivery and sale to third parties of individual and family health insurance leads generated by our ecommerce platforms and our marketing activities.

Marketing and advertising, customer care and enrollment, technology and content and general and administrative operating expenses that are directly attributable to a segment are reported within the applicable segment. Indirect marketing and advertising, customer care and enrollment and technology and content operating expenses are allocated to each segment based on usage. Other indirect general and administrative operating expenses are managed in a corporate shared services environment and, since they are not the responsibility of segment operating management, are not allocated to the two operating segments and are presented as a reconciling item to our consolidated financial results.

Segment profit (loss) is calculated as total revenue for the applicable segment less direct and allocated marketing and advertising, customer care and enrollment, technology and content and general and administrative operating expenses, excluding stock-based compensation, depreciation and amortization expense and amortization of intangible assets.

Use of Estimates

Use of Estimates —The preparation of consolidated financial statements and related disclosures in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates, judgments and assumptions that affect the amounts reported and disclosed in the consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes. On an ongoing basis, we evaluate our estimates, including those related to, but not limited to, the useful lives of intangible assets, fair value of investments, recoverability of intangible assets, the commissions we expect to collect for each approved member cohort, valuation allowance for deferred income taxes, provision for income taxes and the assumptions used in determining stock-based compensation. We base our estimates of the carrying value of certain assets and liabilities on historical experience and on various other assumptions that we believe to be reasonable. Actual results may differ from these estimates.

Reclassifications

Reclassifications — For presentation purposes, certain prior period amounts have been reclassified to conform to the reporting in the current period financial statements.

Cash and Cash Equivalents

Cash Equivalents — We consider all investments with an original maturity of 90 days or less from the date of purchase to be cash equivalents. Cash and cash equivalents are stated at fair value.

Property and Equipment

Property and Equipment — Property and equipment are stated at cost, less accumulated depreciation and amortization. Capital lease amortization expenses are included in depreciation expense in our Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income. Depreciation and amortization is computed using the straight-line method based on estimated useful lives as follows:



Computer equipment and software		3 to 5 years
Office equipment and furniture		5 years
Leasehold improvements		Lesser of useful life (typically 5 to 10 years) or related lease term

Maintenance and minor replacements are expensed as incurred.

Business Combinations

Business Combinations — We allocate the fair value of the purchase consideration of our acquired businesses to the tangible assets, liabilities and intangible assets acquired based on their estimated fair values at the acquisition date. The excess of the fair value of purchase consideration over the fair values of these identifiable assets and liabilities is recorded as goodwill. Acquisition-related costs are recognized separately from the business combination and are expensed as incurred.

Goodwill and Intangible Assets

Goodwill and Intangible Assets — Goodwill represents the excess of the consideration paid over the estimated fair value of assets acquired and liabilities assumed in a business combination. In the event that we realign our reporting units, we allocate our goodwill to the new reporting units using the relative fair value approach. We test our goodwill for impairment on an annual basis in the fourth quarter of each year or whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the asset may be impaired. Factors that we consider in deciding when to perform an impairment test include significant negative industry or economic trends or significant changes or planned changes in our use of the intangible assets.

We realigned our reporting units into two operating segments during the year ended December 31, 2016, at which time we allocated $3.7 million and $10.4 million of the carrying value of the goodwill to the Medicare and Individual, Family and Small Business segments, respectively, based on the relative fair value of the operating segments. We continued to report the same two segments during the year ended December 31, 2017 and no goodwill impairment has been identified in any of the years presented.

Intangible assets are reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate a potential reduction in their fair values below their respective carrying amounts. Intangible assets with finite useful lives, which include purchased technology, pharmacy and customer relationships, trade names, and certain trademarks, are amortized over their estimated useful lives.

Goodwill and intangible assets are considered non-financial assets and therefore, subsequent to their initial recognition are not revalued at fair value each reporting period unless an impairment charge is recognized.

We must make subjective judgments in determining the independent cash flows that can be related to specific asset groupings. In addition, we must make subjective judgments regarding the remaining useful lives of assets with finite useful lives. When we determine that the useful life of an asset is shorter than we had originally estimated, we accelerate the rate of amortization over the assets’ new, remaining useful life. We evaluated the remaining useful lives of our intangible assets with finite lives and determined no material adjustments to the remaining lives were required.

Other Long Lived Assets

Other Long-Lived Assets —We evaluate other long-lived assets for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset may not be recoverable. If such assets are considered to be impaired, the impairment to be recognized is measured by the amount by which the carrying amount of the asset exceeds its fair value.

Revenue Recognition

Incremental Costs to Obtain a Contract — We reviewed our sales compensation plans, which are directed at converting leads into approved members, and concluded that they are fulfillment costs and not costs to obtain a contract with a health insurance carrier, which we define as our customer. Additionally, we reviewed compensation plans related to personnel responsible for identifying new health insurance carriers and entering into contracts with new health insurance carriers and concluded that no incremental costs are incurred to obtain such contracts.

Revenue Recognition — In May 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") issued ASU 2014-09, "Revenue from Contracts with Customers" ("Topic 606"), requiring an entity to recognize revenue when it transfers promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled to in exchange for those goods or services. As noted above, we adopted Topic 606 using the full retrospective method and, accordingly, our historical financial statements and related disclosures have been restated herein to reflect the adoption of Topic 606 for all periods presented.

We are compensated by the receipt of commission payments from health insurance carriers whose health insurance policies are purchased through our ecommerce platforms or our customer care centers. We may also receive commission bonuses based on our attaining predetermined target sales levels for Medicare, individual and family, small business and ancillary health insurance products, or other objectives, as determined by the health insurance carrier, which we recognize as commission revenue when we achieve the predetermined target sales levels or other objectives. In addition, we also generate revenue from non-commission revenue sources, which include online sponsorship and advertising, technology licensing and lead referrals. Payment is typically received within 60 days of approval.

The core principle of Topic 606 is to recognize revenue upon the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration the entity expects to be entitled to in exchange for those goods or services. Accordingly, we recognize revenue for our services in accordance with the following five steps outlined in Topic 606:

•

Identification of the contract, or contracts, with a customer. A contract with a customer exists when (i) we enter into an enforceable contract with a customer that defines each party’s rights regarding the goods or services to be transferred and identifies the payment terms related to these goods or services, (ii) the contract has commercial substance and, (iii) we determine that collection of substantially all consideration for goods or services that are transferred is probable based on the customer’s intent and ability to pay the promised consideration.

•

Identification of the performance obligations in the contract. Performance obligations promised in a contract are identified based on the goods or services that will be transferred to the customer that are both capable of being distinct, whereby the customer can benefit from the goods or service either on its own or together with other resources that are readily available from third parties or from us, and are distinct in the context of the contract, whereby the transfer of the goods or services is separately identifiable from other promises in the contract.


•	Determination of the transaction price. The transaction price is determined based on the consideration to which we will be entitled in exchange for transferring goods or services to the customer.

•

Allocation of the transaction price to the performance obligations in the contract. If the contract contains a single performance obligation, the entire transaction price is allocated to the single performance obligation. Contracts that contain multiple performance obligations require an allocation of the transaction price to each performance obligation based on a relative standalone selling price ("SSP") basis.


•	Recognition of revenue when, or as, we satisfy a performance obligation. We satisfy performance obligations either over time or at a point in time, as discussed in further detail below. Revenue is recognized at the time the related performance obligation is satisfied by transferring the promised good or service to the customer.

Commission Revenue - Our commission revenue is primarily comprised of commissions paid to us by health insurance carriers related to insurance plans that have been purchased by a member through our health insurance exchange service. We define a member as an individual currently covered by an insurance plan, which include Medicare-related, individual and family, small business and ancillary plans. We are compensated by the health insurance carrier, which we define as our customer.

We typically enter into contractual agency relationships with health insurance carriers that are non-exclusive and terminable on short notice by either party for any reason. In addition, health insurance carriers often have the ability to terminate or amend our agreements unilaterally on short notice, including provisions in our agreements relating to the commission rates paid to us by the health insurance carriers. The amendment or termination of an agreement we have with a health insurance carrier may adversely impact the commissions we are paid on health insurance plans purchased from the carrier by means of our health insurance exchange services.

For both Medicare Advantage and Medicare Part D prescription drug plans, we receive a fixed, annual commission payment from insurance carriers once the plan is approved by the carrier and either a fixed, monthly or annual commission payment beginning with and subsequent to the second plan year. In the first plan year of a Medicare Advantage and Medicare Part D prescription drug plan, after the health insurance carrier approves the application but during the effective year of the plan, we are paid a fixed commission that is prorated for the number of months remaining in the calendar year. Additionally, if the plan is the first Medicare Advantage or Medicare Part D plan issued to the member, we may receive a higher commission rate that covers a full twelve-month period, regardless of the month the plan was effective. We earn commission revenue for Medicare Advantage and Medicare Part D prescription drug plans for which we are the broker of record, typically until either the policy is cancelled or we otherwise do not remain the agent on the policy.

For individual and family, Medicare Supplement, small business and ancillary plans, our commissions generally represent a flat amount per member per month or a percentage of the premium amount collected by the carrier during the period that a member maintains coverage under a plan. Premium-based commissions are reported to us after the premiums are collected by the carrier, generally on a monthly basis. We generally continue to receive the commission payment from the relevant insurance carrier until the health insurance plan is cancelled or we otherwise do not remain the agent on the policy.

We utilize a practical expedient to estimate commission revenue for each insurance product by applying the use of a portfolio approach to group approved members by the effective month of the relevant policy (referred to as a “cohort”). This allows us to estimate the commissions we expect to collect for each approved member cohort by evaluating various factors, including but not limited to, contracted commission rates, carrier mix and expected member churn.

For Medicare-related, individual and family and ancillary health insurance plans, our services are complete once a submitted application is approved by the relevant health insurance carrier. Accordingly, we recognize commission revenue based upon the total estimated lifetime commissions we expect to receive for selling the plan after the carrier approves an application, net of a constraint. We refer to these estimated and constrained lifetime values as the "constrained LTV" for the plan. We provide annual services in selling and renewing small business health insurance plans; therefore, we recognize small business health insurance plan commission revenue at the time the plan is approved by the carrier, and when it renews each year thereafter, equal to the estimated commissions we expect to collect from the plan over the following 12-months. Our estimate of commission revenue for each product line is based on a number of assumptions, which include, but are not limited to, estimating conversion of an approved member to a paying member, forecasting member churn and forecasting the commission amounts likely to be received per member. These assumptions are based on historical trends and incorporate management’s judgment in interpreting those trends and in applying constraints discussed below. To the extent we make changes to the assumptions, we will recognize any material impact of the changes to commission revenue in the reporting period in which the change is made, including revisions of estimated lifetime commissions either below or in excess of previously estimated constrained LTV recognized as revenue.

For Medicare-related, individual and family and ancillary health insurance plans, we apply constraints to determine the amount of commission revenue to recognize per approved member. The constraints are applied to help ensure that the total estimated lifetime commissions expected to be collected for an approved member’s plan are recognized as revenue only to the extent that it is probable that a significant reversal in the amount of cumulative revenue recognized will not occur when the uncertainty associated with future commissions receivable from the plan is subsequently resolved. We evaluate the appropriateness of these constraints on at least an annual basis, including assessing factors affecting our estimate of the estimated lifetime value of commissions per approved member based on current trends impacting our business and assessing whether any adjustment to those constraints should be made. We update the assumptions when we observe a sufficient level of evidence that would suggest that the long term expectation of the assumption has changed.

For the years ended December 31, 2015, 2016 and 2017, the constraints applied to the total estimated lifetime commissions we expect to receive for selling the plan after the carrier approves an application in order to derive the constrained lifetime value of commissions per approved member are as follows:



	Year Ended December 31,
	2015		2016		2017
Medicare
Medicare Advantage	7	%	7	%	7	%
Medicare Supplement	5	%	5	%	5	%
Medicare Part D	5	%	5	%	5	%

Individual and Family
Non-Qualified Health Plans	15	%	15	%	15	%
Qualified Health Plans	20	%	20	%	20	%

Ancillary	10	%	10	%	10	%

Small Business	—		—		—

Refer to Note 10 - Adoption Impact of New Revenue Standard for discussion of our adoption of ASC 606.

Other Revenue — Our sponsorship and advertising program allows carriers to purchase advertising space in specific markets in a sponsorship area on our website. In return, we are typically paid a monthly fee, which is recognized over the period that advertising is displayed, and often a performance fee based on metrics such as submitted health insurance applications, which is recognized when control has been transferred. We also offer Medicare advertising services, which include website development, hosting and maintenance. In these instances, we are typically paid a fixed, up-front fee, which we recognize as revenue as control is transferred ratably over the service period.

Our commercial technology licensing business allows carriers the use of our ecommerce platform to offer their own health insurance policies on their websites and agents to utilize our technology to power their online quoting, content and application submission processes. Typically, we are paid a one-time implementation fee, which we recognize as control is transferred on a straight-line basis over the estimated term of the customer relationship (generally the initial term of the agreement), commencing once the technology is available for use by the third party, and a performance fee based on metrics such as submitted health insurance applications. The metrics used to calculate performance fees for both sponsorship and advertising and technology licensing are based on performance criteria that are either measured based on data tracked by us, or based on data tracked by the third party. In instances where the performance criteria data is tracked by us, we recognize revenue in the period of performance and when all other revenue recognition criteria has been met. In instances where the performance criteria data is tracked by the third party, we recognize revenue as control is transferred at amounts where reversal of such amounts is not likely to occur. Typically, this occurs through our receipt of a cash payment from the third party along with a detailed statement containing the data that is tracked by the third party.

Deferred Revenue

Deferred Revenue — Deferred revenue includes deferred technology licensing implementation fees and amounts billed for performance obligations, including professional services, in arrangements with multiple performance obligations that do not have stand-alone value from other, undelivered performance obligations, as well as amounts billed or collected from sponsorship or technology licensing customers in advance of our performing our service for such customers. It also includes the amount by which both unbilled and billed services provided under our technology licensing arrangements exceed the straight-line revenue recognized to date.

Book-of-business Transfers

Book-of-Business Transfers — We entered into several agreements with a broker partner, whereby the partner transferred certain of its existing Medicare plan members to us as the broker of record on the underlying policies. The first of these book-of-business transfers occurred in November 2010 and the most recent in June 2012. Total consideration paid by us for these books-of-business amounted to $13.9 million. The consideration we paid to the broker partner was based on the discounted commissions expected to be received over the remaining life of each transferred Medicare plan member. As we receive commission payments from health insurance carriers for these plan members, we record the margin earned to other income (expense), net in the consolidated statements of comprehensive income (loss). The margin earned and recorded to other income, net for these books-of-business for the years ended December 31, 2015, 2016 and 2017 totaled $1.2 million, $1.0 million and $0.9 million, respectively

Cost of Revenue

Cost of Revenue — Included in cost of revenue are payments related to health insurance policies sold to members who were referred to our website by marketing partners with whom we have revenue-sharing arrangements. In order to enter into a revenue-sharing arrangement, marketing partners must be licensed to sell health insurance in the state where the policy is sold. Costs related to revenue-sharing arrangements are expensed as the related revenue is recognized.

Marketing and Advertising Expense

Marketing and Advertising Expenses — Marketing and advertising expenses consist primarily of member acquisition expenses associated with our direct, marketing partner and online advertising member acquisition channels, in addition to compensation and other expenses related to marketing, business development, partner management, public relations and carrier relations personnel who support our offerings. Advertising costs incurred in the years ended December 31, 2015, 2016 and 2017 totaled $66.5 million, $64.8 million and $56.0 million, respectively.

Our direct channel expenses primarily consist of costs for direct mail, email marketing and television and radio advertising. Advertising costs for our direct channel are expensed the first time the related advertising takes place. Our marketing partner channel expenses primarily consist of fees paid to marketing partners with which we have a relationship. Our online advertising channel expenses primarily consist of paid keyword search advertising on search engines and retargeting campaigns. Advertising costs for our marketing partner channel and our online advertising channel are expensed as incurred.

Research and Development Expense

Research and Development Expenses — Research and development expenses consist primarily of compensation and related expenses incurred for employees on our engineering and technical teams. Research and development costs, which totaled $10.6 million, $8.9 million and $7.6 million for the years ended December 31, 2015, 2016 and 2017, respectively, are included in technology and content expense in the accompanying Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income.

Deferred Contract Cost

Deferred Contract Costs — Deferred contract costs primarily represent direct costs related to professional services provided in connection with technology licensing arrangements that are accounted for as a single unit of accounting. The direct professional services costs are deferred up until the commencement of revenue recognition of the single unit and then recognized as cost of revenue ratably over the same period as the related revenue.

Internal-Use Software and Website Development Costs

Internal-Use Software and Website Development Costs — We capitalize costs of materials, consultants and compensation and benefits costs of employees who devote time to the development of internal-use software during the application development stage. Our judgment is required in determining the point at which various projects enter the phases at which costs may be capitalized, in assessing the ongoing value of the capitalized costs and in determining the estimated useful lives over which the costs are amortized, which is generally three years. For the years ended December 31, 2015, 2016 and 2017, we capitalized internal-use software and website development costs of $1.1 million, $1.8 million and $3.2 million, respectively, and recorded amortization expense of $0.6 million, $0.9 million and $1.5 million, respectively.

Stock-Based Compensation

Stock-Based Compensation — We recognize stock-based compensation expense in the accompanying Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income based on the fair value of our stock-based awards over their respective vesting periods, which is generally four years. The estimated grant date fair value of our stock options is determined using the Black-Scholes-Merton pricing model and a single option award approach. The weighted-average expected term for stock options granted is calculated using historical option exercise behavior. The dividend yield is determined by dividing the expected per share dividend during the coming year by the grant date stock price. Through December 31, 2017, we had not declared or paid any cash dividends, and we do not expect to pay any in the foreseeable future. We base the risk-free interest rate on the implied yield currently available on U.S. Treasury zero-coupon issues with a remaining term equal to the expected term of our stock options. Expected volatility is determined using a combination of the implied volatility of publicly traded options in our stock and historical volatility of our stock price. The estimated attainment of performance-based awards and related expense is based on the expectations of revenue and earnings target achievement. The estimated fair value of performance awards with market conditions is determined using the Monte-Carlo simulation model. The assumptions used in calculating the fair value of stock-based payment awards and expected attainment of performance-based awards represent our best estimates, but these estimates involve inherent uncertainties and the application of management judgment. We will continue to use judgment in evaluating the expected term and volatility related to our own stock-based awards on a prospective basis, and incorporating these factors into the model. Changes in key assumptions could significantly impact the valuation of such instruments.

401(k) Plan

401(k) Plan — In September 1998, our board of directors adopted a defined contribution retirement plan ("401(k) Plan"), which qualifies under Section 401(k) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986. Participation in the 401(k) Plan is available to substantially all employees in the United States. Employees can contribute up to 25% of their salary, up to the federal maximum allowable limit, on a before-tax basis to the 401(k) Plan. Employee contributions are fully vested when contributed. Our contributions to the 401(k) Plan are discretionary and are expensed when incurred. We also match employee contributions to our 401(k) Plan at 25% of an employee’s contribution each pay period, up to a maximum of 1% of the employee’s salary during such pay period. Our matching contributions are expensed as incurred and vest one-third for each of the first three years of the recipient’s service. The recipient is fully vested in all 401(k) Plan matching contributions after three years of service. We recognized expense of $0.3 million, $0.3 million and $0.4 million for the years ended December 31, 2015, 2016 and 2017, respectively, related to 401(k) matching contributions.

Income Taxes

Income Taxes — We account for income taxes using the liability method. Deferred income taxes are determined based on the differences between the financial reporting and tax bases of assets and liabilities, using enacted statutory tax rates in effect for the year in which the differences are expected to reverse.

We utilize a two-step approach for evaluating uncertain tax positions. Step one, Recognition, requires a company to determine if the weight of available evidence indicates that a tax position is more likely than not to be sustained upon audit, including resolution of related appeals or litigation processes, if any. Step two, Measurement, is based on the largest amount of benefit, which is more likely than not to be realized on ultimate settlement. We record interest and penalties related to uncertain tax positions as income tax expense in the consolidated financial statements.

Seasonality

Seasonality — A greater number of our Medicare-related health insurance plans are sold in our fourth quarter during the Medicare annual enrollment period when Medicare-eligible individuals are permitted to change their Medicare Advantage and Medicare Part D prescription drug coverage for the following year. As a result, our Medicare plan-related commission revenue is highest in our fourth quarter.

The majority of our individual and family health insurance plans are sold in the fourth quarter during the annual open enrollment period as defined under the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and related amendments in the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act. Individuals and families generally are not able to purchase individual and family health insurance outside of these open enrollment periods, unless they qualify for a special enrollment period as a result of certain qualifying events, such as losing employer-sponsored health insurance or moving to another state.