Hackensack Meridian Health is launching a Medicare Advantage plan with Horizon Blue Cross and Blue Shield of New Jersey, and the partners hope to get RWJBarnabas Health on board, too.
They'll offer the plan, called Braven Health, across eight New Jersey counties. The plan will use Horizon's existing Medicare Advantage network of physicians and hospitals and members choosing a PPO plan will have access to the Blues' national Medicare Advantage PPO network whenever outside of New Jersey.
Braven Health will have a practitioner council comprising physicians across various specialties that will issue recommendations to Braven Health's CEO and board on ways to improve the plan.
Luisa Charbonneau will serve as Braven Health's first CEO. She was most recently senior vice president at Peerfit, a company that empowers seniors to live healthy, active lifestyles.
"As healthcare companies with impressive track records of working together to improve healthcare, these are the perfect partners to help Braven Health be accountable to the customer and bring true innovation to the Medicare market," Charbonneau said in a statement.
More specifics about Braven's benefits and premiums will be available Oct. 1, and applications will be accepted beginning Oct. 15 for coverage that takes effect Jan. 1.
Whether RWJBarnabas joins the plan is subject to approval by the New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance.
