Nearly 600,000 New Jersey state and public school employees, along with their dependents, now have the choice to enroll in health plans offered by Aetna and Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey.
In December, the state awarded the new contracts — the previous had exclusively been held by Horizon since 2019. That contract was worth about $136 million annually and was controversial with state officials, who alleged that contract terms were not upheld by Horizon.
The special open enrollment period for Aetna and Horizon health benefits runs from April 1 to April 30, 2024, with all benefits taking effect by July 1.
"As a New Jersey native and lifelong resident, I'm proud that SHBP and SEHBP members will have access to quality, affordable and convenient health care through our comprehensive network of primary care physicians, mental health providers, specialists and hospitals,” Steve Schaper, SVP of commercial and specialty markets at Aetna, told ROI-NJ.
Aetna also provides Medicare Advantage to more than 200,000 state retirees and dental benefits to 300,000 state employees, retirees and dependents.