We also work with prescribers to:
Educating The Communities We Serve
Sources: Wide ranging online data for epidemiologic research (WONDER). Atlanta, GA: CDC, National Center for Health Statistics; 2021. Available at wonder.cdc.gov. Spencer MR, Garnett MF, Miniño AM. Drug Overdose Deaths in the United Sates, 2002-2022. NCHS Data Brief, no 491. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics. 2024. Available at cdc.gov/overdose-prevention/about/prescription-opioids.html.
Horizon Mutual Holdings Inc. is the sole member of The Horizon Foundation for New Jersey. Both entities, as well as Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey, are independent licensees of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association. The Blue Cross® and Blue Shield® names and symbols are registered marks of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association. The Horizon® name and symbols are registered marks of Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey. © 2025 Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey. Three Penn Plaza East, Newark, New Jersey 07105.
Horizon provides access to care, support and treatment to members who have opioid use disorder. Our team can:
Find a behavioral health professional or treatment facility
Explain what’s covered under a member’s benefits
Offer the Integrated System of Care (ISC) program for members who need more intensive help with recovery and beyond
Provide resources for substance use and recovery
Our solutions for Substance Use Disorder (SUD) increase access to evidence-based treatment (a combination of therapy, psychiatry and physical health integration) while supporting the member in their home community. We also provide access to a private and secure online platform that features information, tools and resources on a wide range of behavioral health topics.
The Knock Out Opioid Abuse initiative, featuring former NFL player and New Jersey native Ray Lucas, educates high school students about the risks of opioid use and the importance of overall health. The initiative is a collaborative effort with the Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey and Horizon, in partnership with the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association.
Supported by funding from The Horizon Foundation for New Jersey, the Knock Out Opioid Abuse initiative was created in 2017 to address the opioid and fentanyl epidemic through outreach, education and a statewide awareness campaign. It began with a statewide Town Hall Series and has expanded over the years to include:
Prescriber education
Parent outreach
Community awareness campaigns (e.g., the Knock Out Opioid Abuse microsite)
A town hall series at high schools across the state focused on student-athletes.
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Our efforts have contributed to a steady decrease in monthly opioid use.
Horizon Members1 Using Prescription Opioids Each Month
1 Applies to members who have purchased their coverage directly from Horizon, or through the health care exchange or their employer
How We Help Those Struggling With Opioid Use Disorder
4 out of 5 people
who use heroin began by misusing prescription pain medications.
Source: https://www.mass.gov/info-details/key-facts-about-opioids
Horizon has seen a 53% decrease in members using controlled substances and a 92% decrease in members using prescription opioids since 2017.
Progress by the Numbers
Educate
about safe and appropriate opioid prescribing practices
Promote
current clinical standards for prescribing opioids and treating patients
Identify
and address potentially dangerous prescribing practices
The Horizon Foundation has spent nearly $3.5 million on the effort, including over $361,000 in 2024 alone.
Since the Knock Out Opioid Abuse initiative’s inception in 2017,
To increase education on opioid misuse and abuse, Horizon has made available the free opioid abuse toolkit. Created in 2017 and updated regularly, it has been used in schools and universities and at outreach events nationally.
The toolkit includes:
Opioid overdose prevention and resources for treating addiction
How to plan your own event/Drug Take-Back Initiatives
Middle/High School outreach programs and materials
Prescriber resources, including inpatient and Emergency Department prescribing, best practices, how to use the Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP), overdose services and opioid alternatives
When we identify concerning opioid-filling behaviors, we mail letters and perform other outreaches to the members and their prescribers, including members who:
Have been prescribed a high-dose opioid in the last three months
Are taking duplicate short- or long-acting opioids
Are taking both a prescription opioid and a stimulant
Are going to multiple pharmacies or prescribers for opioids
Are taking an opioid dependence medication, to ensure their consistent and appropriate use
Have never taken an opioid before and fills their first opioid prescription
Number of opioid prescriptions dispensed
The rate of overdose deaths in America involving prescription opioids decreased approximately 12%.
2021 – 2022
The overall national opioid dispensing rate declined from a rate of 46.8 opioid prescriptions dispensed per 100 persons to a rate of 37.5 opioid prescriptions dispensed per 100 persons.
2019 – 2023
2017: Confirmed overdose-related deaths in NJ: 2,737
2024: Suspected overdose-related deaths in NJ: 1,466
2017: Opioid prescriptions dispensed in NJ: 4.87 million
2024: Opioid prescriptions dispensed in NJ: 2.26 million
1 2024 statistics are as of 9/30/24
2017 – 20241
How We Help Ensure Safe & Effective Opioid Use
Our Programs to Combat Prescription Opioid Abuse:
Reach out to members who may be at risk for opioid addiction
Educate members about how to safely get their prescription medicines
Use tools like prior authorization and quantity limits to ensure the safe and medically appropriate use of prescription opioids
Identify and address any inappropriate prior authorizations
Ensure high-risk members are using one pharmacy to access their prescription medicines to avoid their unnecessary and inappropriate use
Collaborate with community organizations to offer tools and resources for members at risk for opioid addiction
Since 1999, Horizon has been proud to be a national leader in our efforts to combat prescription opioid abuse, with over 20 programs and various tools to help reduce the risk of opioid abuse and overdose.
Sources: Wide ranging online data for epidemiologic research (WONDER). Atlanta, GA: CDC, National Center for Health Statistics; 2021. Available at wonder.cdc.gov. Spencer MR, Garnett MF, Miniño AM. Drug Overdose Deaths in the United Sates, 2002-2022. NCHS Data Brief, no 491. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics. 2024. Available at cdc.gov/overdose-prevention/about/prescription-opioids.html.
Horizon Mutual Holdings Inc. is the sole member of The Horizon Foundation for New Jersey. Both entities, as well as Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey, are independent licensees of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association. The Blue Cross® and Blue Shield® names and symbols are registered marks of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association.. The Horizon® name and symbols are registered marks of Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey. © 2025 Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey. Three Penn Plaza East, Newark, New Jersey 07105.
The Horizon Foundation has spent nearly $3.5 million on the effort, including over $361,000 in 2024 alone.
Since the Knock Out Opioid Abuse initiative’s inception in 2017,
The Knock Out Opioid Abuse initiative, featuring former NFL player and New Jersey native Ray Lucas, educates high school students about the risks of opioid use and the importance of overall health. The initiative is a collaborative effort with the Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey and Horizon, in partnership with the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association.
Supported by funding from The Horizon Foundation for New Jersey, the Knock Out Opioid Abuse initiative was created in 2017 to address the opioid and fentanyl epidemic through outreach, education and a statewide awareness campaign. It began with a statewide Town Hall Series and has expanded over the years to include:
Prescriber education
Parent outreach
Community awareness campaigns (e.g., the Knock Out Opioid Abuse microsite)
A town hall series at high schools across the state focused on student-athletes.
Educating The Communities We Serve
Our solutions for Substance Use Disorder (SUD) increase access to evidence-based treatment (a combination of therapy, psychiatry and physical health integration) while supporting the member in their home community. We also provide access to a private and secure online platform that features information, tools and resources on a wide range of behavioral health topics.
Horizon provides access to care, support and treatment to members who have opioid use disorder. Our team can:
Find a behavioral health professional or treatment facility
Explain what’s covered under a member’s benefits
Offer the Integrated System of Care (ISC) program for members who need more intensive help with recovery and beyond
Provide resources for substance use and recovery
How We Help Those Struggling With Opioid Use Disorder
2017: Confirmed overdose-related deaths in NJ: 2,737
2024: Suspected overdose-related deaths in NJ: 1,466
2017: Opioid prescriptions dispensed in NJ: 4.87 million
2024: Opioid prescriptions dispensed in NJ: 2.26 million
1 2024 statistics are as of 9/30/24
2017 – 20241
The overall national opioid dispensing rate declined from a rate of 46.8 opioid prescriptions dispensed per 100 persons to a rate of 37.5 opioid prescriptions dispensed per 100 persons.
2019 – 2023
The rate of overdose deaths in America involving prescription opioids decreased approximately 12%.
2021 – 2022
Number of opioid prescriptions dispensed
Horizon Members1 Using Prescription Opioids Each Month
Our efforts have contributed to a steady decrease in monthly opioid use.
Horizon has seen a 53% decrease in members using controlled substances and a 92% decrease in members using prescription opioids since 2017.
Progress by the Numbers
To increase education on opioid misuse and abuse, Horizon has made available the free opioid abuse toolkit. Created in 2017 and updated regularly, it has been used in schools and universities and at outreach events nationally.
The toolkit includes:
• Opioid overdose prevention and resources for treating addiction
• How to plan your own event/Drug Take-Back Initiatives
• Middle/High School outreach programs and materials
• Prescriber resources, including inpatient and Emergency Department prescribing, best practices, how to use the Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP), overdose services and opioid alternatives
Educate
about safe and appropriate opioid prescribing practices
Identify
and address potentially dangerous prescribing practices
Promote
current clinical standards for prescribing opioids and treating patients
We also work with prescribers to:
Have been prescribed a high-dose opioid in the last three months
Are taking duplicate short- or long-acting opioids
Are taking both a prescription opioid and a stimulant
Are going to multiple pharmacies or prescribers for opioids
Are taking an opioid dependence medication, to ensure their consistent and appropriate use
Have never taken an opioid before and fills their first opioid prescription
When we identify concerning opioid-filling behaviors, we mail letters and perform other outreaches to the members and their prescribers, including members who:
Our Programs to Combat Prescription Opioid Abuse:
• Reach out to members who may be at risk for opioid addiction
• Educate members about how to safely get their prescription medicines
• Reach out to members who may be at risk for opioid addiction
• Use tools like prior authorization and quantity limits to ensure the safe and medically appropriate use of prescription opioids
• Identify and address any inappropriate prior authorizations
• Ensure high-risk members are using one pharmacy to access their prescription medicines to avoid their unnecessary and inappropriate use
• Collaborate with community organizations to offer tools and resources for members at risk for opioid addiction
Since 1999, Horizon has been proud to be a national leader in our efforts to combat prescription opioid abuse, with over 20 programs and various tools to help reduce the risk of opioid abuse and overdose.
How We Help Ensure Safe & Effective Opioid Use
Source: https://www.mass.gov/info-details/key-facts-about-opioids
who use heroin began by misusing prescription pain medications.
4 out of 5 people
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1 Applies to members who have purchased their coverage directly from Horizon, or through the health care exchange or their employer