Hackensack Meridian Health and Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey announced Monday they had reached a multi-year agreement that ensures patients with Horizon plans will continue to have uninterrupted, in-network access to HMH doctors, hospitals, and facilities.
The agreement between two of the state’s largest healthcare companies was reached two months before the June 1 deadline to negotiate a new contract. Earlier this year, the two companies reported they were in stalemate over payment rates that threatened to leave millions of New Jerseyans insured by Horizon without “in-network” access to HMH hospitals.
“As New Jersey’s largest health network, Hackensack Meridian Health is committed each day to ensuring that our patients have access to high-quality, innovative patient care,” said Robert C. Garrett, FACHE, CEO, Hackensack Meridian Health. “We are thrilled to have reached a resolution with Horizon ensuring that our world-class team members can continue to provide excellent care to the patients and communities we serve.
“All of us in health care have an obligation to work to make health care more affordable and accessible,” said Gary D. St. Hilaire, Horizon’s Chairman and CEO. “This agreement reflects our shared belief that health care works best when providers and insurers work together to put the people we serve at the center of everything we do.”
