Description:

In 1995, New Jersey Medicaid began moving Medicaid beneficiaries from a traditional fee-for-service health insurance program, in which healthcare providers bill Medicaid directly, into managed care. Under managed care, clients enroll in a Health Plan which manages their healthcare and offers special services in addition to the benefits to which Medicaid clients are entitled.

Five Health Plans participate in New Jersey's NJ FamilyCare program. They are:
- Aetna
- AMERIGROUP NJ
- Horizon NJ Health
- UnitedHealthcare Community Plan
- WellCare

Through managed care, New Jersey Medicaid believes beneficiaries have better access to healthcare providers than they do through Medicaid's traditional fee-for-service health insurance program. Health Plans are also able to provide a comprehensive package of preventive health services, that combined with the full range of Medicaid benefits, allows for the best healthcare possible.