Health insurance consumers buying or renewing their policies with Horizon Blue Cross Shield of New Jersey (Horizon BCBSNJ) can find lower prices, plenty of personal assistance and convenient locations for getting answers to all of their health coverage questions for the 2019 open enrollment period for individual coverage, which runs from Thursday, November 1 through Saturday, December 15, 2018.

For 2019, Horizon BCBSNJ has REDUCED premiums by an average of 7 percent compared to its 2018 individual market products. The company will offer 7 competitively-priced plans for 2019 on the Federal Marketplace, led by four OMNIA Health Plans (Bronze HSA, Silver, Silver HSA, and Gold) and three broad network Advantage plans. Approximately 80 percent of individual market consumers are estimated to qualify for a federal subsidy, making quality coverage more affordable.

“The new open enrollment period means that people will find more affordable access to quality health care plans, while experiencing a superior level of service from New Jersey’s top health insurer,” said Michael J. Considine, Horizon BCBSNJ Vice President of Consumer, Small Group and Mid-Size Markets. Considine noted that in 2018, according to J.D. Power, Horizon achieved the “Highest Member Satisfaction among Commercial Health Plans in New Jersey” for the second consecutive year. “No insurer works more closely with their customers, at face-to-face locations throughout the state, to help them find and use a policy that best fits their budget and health care needs. For 86 years, New Jerseyans have relied on Horizon for financial security and peace of mind, and we remain committed to serving our customers with the same standard of excellence that has defined our company since 1932,” Considine said.

Considine is reminding consumers that New Jersey’s new individual mandate takes effect on January 1, which, along with recently-enacted legislation creating a reinsurance program, has created more stability and affordability to New Jersey individual market.

As federal support for open enrollment marketing has dissipated over the last two years, Horizon BCBSNJ has annually stepped up its efforts to fill the void. Horizon BCBSNJ ’s marketing effort, which will augment Governor Murphy’s campaign to get New Jerseyans ‌covered, the will feature heavy digital advertising, social media, direct mail and email campaigns that reinforce affordability and the new state individual mandate in 2019.

As funding for navigator support has fallen in New Jersey by 79 percent since 2016, Horizon BCBSNJ will again continue to ensure that consumers receive the information and guidance they need to make informed decisions on health care coverage. These efforts include:

• Trained and licensed telephone agents will work extended hours and on weekends to answer questions and help enroll people into consumer plans both on and off the exchange.
• Horizon’s “Blue To You” mobile vans will travel to several Walgreens locations across the state to educate and enroll consumers.
• A series of Town hall-style educational events will be held with a variety of community-based groups and in-person assisters will be on hand to help people enroll on the spot.
• Several retail locations to meet face-to-face with Horizon BCBSNJ representatives (including bilingual agents), to enroll, re-enroll, and update Federal marketplace information.

Horizon BCBSNJ will be focused on serving customers in the communities where they live, work and shop, answering their questions and providing special assistance to Hispanic residents who are more likely than any other group to lack health coverage. In September, Horizon BCBSNJ opened a Horizon Connect Retail Center at Sanitas Medical Center in Union City, located at 3196 John F Kennedy Blvd. The retail center operates from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm Monday through Friday, and is open on Saturday for the Individual Open Enrollment period from 10 am to 6:00 pm.

The first Horizon Connect Retail Center was opened in September, 2012 at the East Gate Square Shopping Center in Moorestown and is open Monday through Saturday. Other New Jersey locations where people can meet with Horizon BCBSNJ representatives, including bilingual agents, for their health insurance needs include:

Bergen Town Center Mall - Paramus1 Bergen Town Center, Paramus, New Jersey 07652Open Monday - Saturday 11am – 6pm

Willowbrook Mall - Wayne1400 Willowbrook Mall, Wayne, NJ 07014Open Monday – Saturday 11 am -6 pm

Woodbridge Center Mall250 Woodbridge Center Dr, Woodbridge, NJ 07095Open Monday – Saturday 11 am -6 pm

Hola Doctor - Jersey City353 Central Ave., Jersey City, New Jersey 07307Open Monday – Friday 11 am -6 pmSaturday: 10 am - 5 pm; Sunday: 11 am- 3pm

Hola Doctor - Perth Amboy197 Smith St., Perth Amboy, New Jersey 08861Open Monday- Friday 9 am – 9 pmSaturday: 10 am- 5pm; Sunday: 11 am- 3 pm

Horizon BCBSNJ received the highest score in New Jersey in the J.D. Power 2017-2018 U.S. Member Health Plan Studies of customers’ satisfaction with their commercial health plan. Visit Jdpower.com/awards.

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