Tens of thousands of New Jersey seniors must find new health insurance after Braven Health announced it will stop offering Medicare Advantage plans Dec. 31.
The exit, first reported by Patch, forces members in all 21 counties to act during Medicare's open enrollment period, which runs from Oct. 15 through Dec. 7. A Braven spokesman told Patch the decision affects 42,000 members. Federal enrollment data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) put the count higher, at 49,836 as of September, NJ Ballot reported.
Several Braven plans served Essex County directly, according to Braven's plan documents. Those include the Medicare Choice, Choice Plus, Freedom and Salute plans.
Braven Health launched in 2020 as a joint venture of Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey, Hackensack Meridian Health and RWJBarnabas Health. It was the state's first health plan co-owned by an insurer and hospital systems.
Braven spokesman Thomas Wilson told Patch the company "…faced market conditions that compromised our ability to continue providing members with the high quality coverage and service they deserve."
Braven lost money every year it operated. It reported losses of $38 million in 2021, $94.8 million in 2022, $113.4 million in 2023 and $123.1 million in 2024, according to state filings cited by NJ Ballot. In 2025, the loss reached $177.3 million on $814.1 million in revenue, with medical costs running at 113.1 percent of premiums.
Braven is one of at least 11 insurers dropping individual Medicare Advantage plans for 2027 nationwide, NJ Ballot reported.
Miguel Bello, an insurance agent with Absolute Insurance Management in Bergen County, told Patch he is fielding calls from Braven members who need help choosing a new plan. Some members may not realize their coverage is ending, he said.
"Maybe some customers don't even know. Some may not have opened the mail, and think it's [junk mail]," Bello told Patch.
What affected members should do
Braven's transition page says current coverage stays active through Dec. 31. Members who do not enroll in a new plan by that date will default to Original Medicare without prescription drug coverage on Jan. 1, 2027.
Members have two main options: enroll in another Medicare Advantage plan or switch to Original Medicare. Those who switch to Original Medicare gain a guaranteed right to buy a Medigap supplement policy within 63 days of their coverage ending. Insurers cannot turn them down or charge more because of health status under that protection, NJ Ballot reported.
The Dec. 7 deadline is not final. Federal guidance gives members of an ending plan a special enrollment period through the end of February, according to NJ Ballot. Coverage chosen after Dec. 31 starts the first of the following month.
Members receiving ongoing treatment should contact their new plan immediately after enrolling to confirm prior authorizations, Braven's transition page advises. Any unused Healthy Journey rewards funds expire Dec. 31 and will not carry over.
Key contacts:
- Braven Health Member Services: 1-833-272-8360
- Horizon licensed representatives: 1-877-234-1240
- New Jersey's free State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP): 1-800-792-8820
- Medicare: 1-800-MEDICARE or medicare.gov
SHIP, run by the New Jersey Department of Human Services, offers free counseling through volunteer advisers in all 21 counties. Counselors do not sell or recommend specific plans.
