New Jerseyans who rely on the State’s Medicaid program for health care have many options when it comes to choosing a managed care organization (MCO) to help them. More than one million of them – over half of New Jersey’s Medicaid enrollees – choose Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey (Horizon BCBSNJ).

The latest annual survey report from the Institute for Medicaid Innovation (IMI), a non-partisan research and policy group, which recognizes MCOs that are leading the way to better care, offers a glimpse into why so many Medicaid-eligible New Jerseyans trust Horizon BCBSNJ.

Horizon BCBSNJ has always invested heavily in providing its Medicaid members with the same type of cutting-edge, quality health care and experience as its members covered by employer-sponsored plans. Now, Horizon BCBSNJ’s commitment to quality has earned national distinction in five out of eight categories in IMI’s survey of groundbreaking initiatives – the most of any MCO in the nation.

In addition to providing Medicaid members access to an expansive statewide network of doctors and hospitals, convenient tools and community-based programs, Horizon BCBSNJ also offers a range of services designed specifically to help them achieve their best health.

From engaging first-time mothers to protecting teens’ mental health to caring for seniors, Horizon BCBSNJ has stepped forward to ensure that those who rely on Medicaid can receive the support they need, regardless of income or job status.

Here’s how Horizon BCBSNJ and its MCO Horizon NJ Health have made health care work better for its Medicaid members in the five IMI categories:

• Behavioral Care: Increased the number of providers statewide who can prescribe medication-assisted treatment, the gold standard for evidence-based treatment of substance use disorders.

• Women’s Health: Empowered about 7,500 members per year to improve prenatal and postpartum health, and improved infant and maternal health outcomes by increasing quality care for OB/GYN practices serving Medicaid members.

• Child and Adolescent Health: Ensured young children have a place to receive dental care by the age of one; addressed high-risk conditions in teens including tobacco use, alcohol and drug use, risky sexual behaviors and depression; and improved child and adolescent health using best practices for wellness visits, preventive screenings and immunizations.

• Managed Long-Term Services and Supports: Supported the health and wellbeing of seniors and individuals with disabilities by helping them navigate the health care system and providing them with community resources and education.

• Social Determinants of Health: Helped Medicaid members who did not complete high school earn the equivalent of a high school diploma, which has been shown to reduce mortality and the risk of heart disease and diabetes.

The IMI survey report, released in December 2020, collected information about the state of the MCO industry in 2019 and trends from 2017-2019.