Horizon Health history

In November 1993, MERCY HEALTH PLAN of New Jersey on behalf of HMO Blue began marketing to the eligible Aged, Blind Disabled (ABD) population in Camden County, NJ.

In 1994, MERCY HEALTH PLAN of New Jersey on behalf of HMO Blue expanded into Essex and Hudson Counties.

By October 1995, two years after partnership was formed, MERCY HEALTH PLAN of New Jersey on behalf of HMO Blue's enrollment was at 27,000.

These changes were effective January 1, 1996, and resulted in the addition of 500 new jobs and an increase of 103,000 members to BCBSNJ's managed care rolls.

By May 1997, MERCY HEALTH PLAN of New Jersey on behalf of HMO Blue had reached 80,000 members.

In March 1998, New Jersey began offering its version of the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) called NJ KidCare.

In March 1999, MERCY HEALTH PLAN of New Jersey on behalf of HMO Blue officially changed its name to Horizon/Mercy.

In 2000, Horizon/Mercy started its Care Coordination Unit for members with special needs.

By the end of 2001, Horizon/Mercy membership had reached 256,000.

Karen L. Clark, who joined Horizon/Mercy as Chief Operating Officer in 2002, became President and Chief Operating Officer for Horizon/Mercy.

In January 2003, Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey acquired full ownership of Horizon/Mercy.

Horizon/Mercy officially changed its name to Horizon NJ Health on June 1, 2004.

On July 13, 2005, the Family Health Care Coverage Act was signed into law by Acting Governor Richard J. Codey, expanding NJ FamilyCare for working adults and improving access to approximately 264,000 children.

When the program went live in January 2006, Horizon BCBSNJ covered over 132,000 seniors.

In January 2008, Horizon NJ Health was the first company to offer NJ FamilyCare ADVANTAGE, a program for children without health care coverage and whose family income levels make them ineligible for Medicaid or the NJ FamilyCare.

Horizon NJ Health, once again, received the highest score among the state's Medicaid HMO plans, as highlighted in the New Jersey Division of Medical Assistance and Health Services’ 2009 Annual Assessment of HMOs.

Horizon BCBSNJ was ranked in the top 500 Information Technology companies in the 2010 Information Week 500.

Enrollment reached a milestone of more than 500,000 members in the Medicaid, NJ FamilyCare and NJ FamilyCare ADVANTAGE programs in October of 2011.

In January, Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey is recognized as one "The Best Insurance Companies in 2012," according to Insure.com.

In July, Horizon BCBSNJ announced 2013 results from its patient-centered Medical Home Program, which analyzed claims of more than 200,000 members.

Horizon NJ Health, the state's largest managed Medicaid health plan and an Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey company, announced that it would launch a Managed Long-Term Services and Supports (MLTSS) program beginning July 1, 2014.

Horizon BCBSNJ sent more than $70 million in 2015 MLR rebates to Individual and Small Group Members in November.

Horizon BCBSNJ announced in October that 1.5 million members were participating in patient-centered programs during 2016, an increase of 50 percent from the previous year.

Horizon BCBSNJ Chairman, President and CEO Robert A. Marino announced his retirement effective December 31, 2017 after a 40 year career with Blue Cross Blue Shield plans.

The first facility opened in December in Union City, and two more centers were due to open in Belleville and Jersey City in early 2018.