Department Places Health Republic Insurance of New Jersey Into Liquidation

TRENTON, N.J., Feb. 3 -- The New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance issued the following news release:

New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance Commissioner Richard J. Badolato today announced that the Superior Court of New Jersey, Chancery Division, has issued an Order approving the Department's petition to place Freelancers Consumer Operated and Oriented Program of New Jersey, doing business as Health Republic Insurance of New Jersey (HRINJ), into liquidation. In September, Freelancers had consented to be placed in rehabilitation due to its deteriorating financial condition. The liquidation will enable the New Jersey Life and Health Guaranty Association (LHIGA) to assume payment of member and provider claims for reimbursement of covered medical services pursuant to its statutory authority. All HRINJ policies terminated as of December 31, and this latest court action will ensure that medical providers continue to be paid for services rendered under those policies.

This liquidation order is in response to HRINJ's deteriorating financial condition, arising in part from a liability of $46.3 million under the Affordable Care Act's Risk Adjustment program. The Department and the carrier worked with individual consumers and small employers with HRINJ policies on securing new coverage for 2017. The transition to new coverage has gone smoothly for individual consumers and for small employers.

"We have assisted individual consumers and small employers as they transitioned to a new plan. We will continue to work with all affected parties as we proceed through liquidation," said Commissioner Badolato.

The Department has worked diligently with the company over an extended period to protect policyholders and medical providers as HRINJ conducted its operations.

Impact to policyholders:

Individual Health Care policyholders (26,000 members)

* All individual plan members were fully covered through the end of the 2016 plan year which ended December 31.

* Open enrollment for the 2017 plan year ended on January 31 and went smoothly for former HRINJ individual plan members who chose a plan from a different carrier because HRINJ plans were no longer offered.

Small Employer Health policyholders (9,000 members)

* All existing HRINJ small employer policies were terminated effective December 31, 2016 regardless of the termination date in their policies;

* As open enrollment restrictions do not apply to small employers, small employers are able to select a replacement small employer policy from a new carrier at any time;

To expedite claims processing, providers are encouraged to submit bills per the normal claims payment processes and no later than 60 days after the date of service.

The not-for-profit HRINJ began offering health insurance policies in New Jersey in 2014. In the first quarter of 2016, HRINJ held a 7.34 percent share in the state's Individual Health Coverage (IHC) market and a 2.1 percent market share in the Small Employer Health (SEH) sector.

For additional information regarding HRINJ's insolvency proceedings, consumers and other interested parties may go online at www.state.nj.us/dobi/division_insurance/finesolv.htm to view the Order of Liquidation and related documents. Frequently asked questions for individual consumers previously covered by Health Republic and providers with patients previously covered by Health Republic are also available. Consumers and interested parties may also call the Department at 1-800-446-7467 or 609-292-7272.

To make an inquiry or file a written complaint with the Department, consumers may go online at www.state.nj.us/dobi/consumer.htm or call the Department for additional information on the complaint process.

30VitinMar-5766227 30VitinMar