Dear Member:
If you have health plan coverage through Rutgers and the State Health Benefits Program, then you may have received another alarmist email yesterday regarding health plan changes. This one, from Rutgers, follows an earlier one from Horizon.
Let’s be clear about what is happening. All health plan names will technically change on 7/1/26. All plans will be renamed by adding “26” at the beginning, for example, Horizon NJ Direct 15 will change to “26 Horizon NJ Direct 15”, Horizon NJ Direct (the union-negotiated plan) will be known as “26 Horizon NJ Direct” starting on 7/1/26. Note that those currently in a “2019” plan, will see that designation drop, because the deductible will be the same on 7/1/26 and that was the only difference from the current “Horizon NJ Direct” plan. Provider networks will not change – so same hospitals, doctors and other health care providers. All Aetna plans will have a similar change adding “26” before the current plan names.
As we reported back in October, there will be increases to prescription co-pays
(prescription costs will be the same across all medical plans) and new deductibles for all medical plans that don’t currently have them (see updated state charts below for medical and prescription plans). So, again, Direct 15 will have a deductible of $110 for individual coverage or $220 for spouse/family coverage (plans with higher deductibles currently will not see increases). What we didn’t know back in October was the implementation date, which we now know is 7/1/26. This is why the unions pushed for and the state agreed to another special open enrollment period.
Payroll deductions will not go up on 7/1/26 for any of the plans. Those rates were previously set for 1/1/26. The costs for comparable plans will remain the same for Horizon and Aetna through the end of 2026. Here’s the new calculator if you want to compare annual costs by health plan (Benefit Solver should show these costs on a monthly basis):
Horizon Calculator (effective 7/1/26): https://www.horizonblue.com/shbp/plans/2026-special-premium-contribution-calculator
We promise to go through this in more detail at the upcoming union events listed below.
Medical Plan Comparison Chart for 7/1/26.
Prescription Plan Comparison Chart for 7/1/26.
The Coalition of Rutgers Unions will run a large union town hall (overview) and a handful of union health plan clinics (detailed) throughout April to assist members in navigating your choices, as we did back in October.
Here are the dates and registration links for the town hall and the clinics:
- April 7 at 7pm Health Care Town Hall, Register here.
- April 8 at 12pm Health Plan Town Hall, Register here.
- April 10 at 9am Health Plan Clinic, Register here.
- April 13 at 12pm Health Plan Clinic, Register here.
- April 22 at 6pm Health Plan Clinic, Register here.
- April 24 at 12pm Health Plan Clinic, Register here.
If you are “satisfied” with your current plan, then there is nothing you need to do. You will stay in your current coverage but with a new plan name and you’ll receive a new card with “26” at the start. You will see prescription co-pays and medical deductibles increase on 7/1/26 regardless of your plan and as represented in the comparison charts above.
We encourage you to attend a union health plan clinic this month and stay alert for any email updates as we work in Trenton and at the bargaining table to improve health plan quality and affordability.
Solidarity,
HP, Becky, and Cathy