Horizon Brief Notes
Applies to: Fully Insured Commercial Dental Business
COVID-19 Update:
25% Premium Reduction for Fully Insured Commercial Dental Customers
Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey (Horizon BCBSNJ) is reducing premiums by 25% for policies covering 500,000 fully insured Commercial dental members. The reduction is specific to April and May premiums. Eligible subscribers and group customers with in-force coverage will see this reduction in the form of a credit on their July premium invoice. Eligible subscribers and group customers with coverage that terminates will receive a refund. No additional action is required for subscribers and group customers to take advantage of this premium reduction.
Routine dental visits can do more than keep teeth clean. They can also provide early detection of serious health risks, such as diabetes. We want to help ensure our customers can keep this valuable coverage.
“The health and well-being of our members are Horizon’s top priorities, but we are also working to lower their costs to help reduce the financial impact of COVID-19,” said Jared Ferguson, Director, Horizon EXPAND, the Company’s suite of supplemental insurance products.
“This premium reduction applies to the more than 70% of Horizon’s dental policyholders who are in a fully insured plan, including our 60,000 individual policyholders,” added Dr. Joan Monaco, Director, Dental Operations for Horizon BCBSNJ. Another 200,000 dental members are covered through self-insured plans administered by Horizon BCBSNJ on behalf of an employer or other plan sponsor.
Other actions that we have taken due to the COVID-19 pandemic include offering emergency dental premium grace periods and reimbursing dental professionals for care delivered through teledentistry. As it relates to our communities that we work and live in, we have also:
- Supported doctors, nurses and hospitals with policies that: protect their health by supporting social distancing and purchasing 500,000 N95 masks; make it easier to deliver and be paid for care provided to members; and eliminate administrative tasks so they can focus all of their resources on delivering critical and life-saving care.
- Donated more than $4.5 million to support the safety, medical, social and economic needs of New Jersey’s communities and vital health professionals.
We are grateful for the trust our customers place in us. We have been here when our customers and communities have needed us most. Rest assured, we will continue to provide the coverage and services our customers count on now and always.