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Warren Hills board votes to exit state health plan and switch to Horizon Blue effective Jan. 1, 2026
Summary
The Warren Hills Regional Board of Education voted Oct. 14 to terminate participation in the State Health Benefits Plan and to change its medical carrier to Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey effective Jan. 1, 2026; the board cited broker pricing that showed lower rates and recorded a unanimous vote among members present.
The Warren Hills Regional Board of Education voted Oct. 14 to end participation in the State Health Benefits Plan (SHBP/SEHBP) and adopt Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey as its medical carrier effective Jan. 1, 2026. The motion was introduced as part of the board’s Budget & Finance calendar and carried by roll-call among members present.
The resolution to terminate SHBP participation cites N.J.S.A. 52:14-17.25 et seq. and directs district staff to notify active employees; it notes that the New Jersey Division of Pensions & Benefits will notify retired employees and COBRA participants and that the termination takes effect the first of the month following a 60-day period after the State Health Benefits Commission receives the board’s resolution. Amy Kemp moved the bundle of Budget & Finance motions; Molly Fraumeni seconded the motion. The vote recorded Aye from members present (Molly Fraumeni, Jean Hansen, Erik Heller, Amy Kemp, Alfred Coscia); absent: Thomas Dufner, Lisa Marshall, Paula Merrill, Corey Piasecki.
Board materials and the motion language say the district’s insurance broker, Integrity Consulting Group, recommended the change because “the quoted rates received from Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey are less expensive than the current School Employees’ Health Benefit Plan for the period January 1, 2026 through December 31, 2026.” That pricing assessment was cited in the resolution but was not presented as a detailed rate sheet during the public meeting; the motion text in the minutes directs the Business Administrator to forward a certified copy of the resolution to the broker for execution with the new carrier.
The approved resolution instructs the district to notify active employees of termination of coverage and acknowledges that retired employees and COBRA participants will be notified by the State. The resolution also notes the statutory timeline for the change to take effect and ties final implementation to the State Health Benefits Commission’s processing of the district’s paperwork.
Next steps listed in meeting materials include formal notice to employees, coordination with the broker and carrier for plan implementation and any employee communication required under state rules. The board recorded the resolution as part of its regular meeting and adjourned at 7:52 p.m.
