[November 01, 2011]

Navigant Teams with 3M to Support Provider Participation in CMS Bundled Payment Initiative

Navigant and 3M (News - Alert) Health Information Systems announced today that together they will support provider clients as they apply to participate in the CMS Innovation Center Bundled Payments for Care Improvement Initiative, through which providers will have flexibility in determining which episodes of care and which services will be bundled, as well as which model of bundled payments works best for them.

Navigant and 3M will assist providers in assessing and designing pilots for Medicare's Bundled Payment Initiative. The resources these two firms bring together include performance improvement, reimbursement expertise and strategic advisory services from Navigant, along with clinical classification and bundled payment expertise from 3M Health Information Systems.

Medicare's four bundled payment alternatives are:

• Model 1: Acute care hospital stay only, retrospective payment;
• Model 2: Acute care hospital stay plus post-acute care associated with the stay;
• Model 3: Post-acute care only; and
• Model 4: All services furnished during an acute care hospital stay by the hospital, physicians and all other practitioners paid by a single, prospective bundled payment.

Letters of Intent for Models 2-4 must be submitted by November 4.

"We are working with clients to assess the pros and cons of each of these bundled payment alternatives, the modeling and delivery requirements for success, and early feedback/case studies from providers and payers," said Michael Nugent, Navigant Healthcare Managing Director.

Sandeep Wadhwa, M.D., Chief Medical Officer and Vice President for 3M Health Information Systems, noted, "The Navigant-3M elationship will leverage the strength of 3M's risk adjustment, grouping, and potentially preventable event tools with Navigant's analytical tools and clinical integration expertise. We look forward to working with Navigant to deliver system redesign that supports the goals of the CMS initiative."

Navigant, who was recently ranked 5^th in Modern Healthcare's "Top 20 Largest Healthcare Management Consulting Firms", is already engaged with many providers in this initiative, including the nation's leading systems.

About Navigant

Navigant (NYSE: NCI) is a specialized, global expert services firm dedicated to assisting clients in creating and protecting value in the face of critical business risks and opportunities. Through senior level engagement with clients, Navigant professionals combine technical expertise in Disputes and Investigations, Economics, Financial Advisory and Management Consulting, with business pragmatism in the highly regulated Construction, Energy, Financial Services and Healthcare industries to support clients in addressing their most critical business needs. More information about Navigant can be found at www.navigant.com.

Navigant Healthcare assists hospitals, physicians and payers in designing, developing and implementing solutions that create high-performing healthcare organizations. Our experienced healthcare team of over 500 healthcare consultants helps your organization with strategic advisory, operations management and implementation, and outsourcing and technology solutions to include revenue cycle management, supply chain improvement, facilities planning, physician-hospital alignment and clinical documentation improvement.

About 3M Health Information Systems

3M Health Information Systems offers patient classification and grouping solutions that categorize clinical services for measurement of inpatient, outpatient and population care. These solutions are widely used by healthcare providers and health services researchers to evaluate hospital performance and outcomes. Federal and state agencies and private payers have adopted 3M classification methodologies for reimbursement and public reporting.

Best known for its market-leading coding system and expertise, 3M Health Information Systems delivers innovative software and consulting services designed to raise the bar for clinical documentation improvement, computer-assisted coding, mobile physician applications, case mix and quality outcomes reporting, and document management. 3M's robust healthcare data dictionary and terminology services also support the expansion and accuracy of the electronic health record (EHR) system. With nearly 30 years of healthcare industry experience and the know-how of more than 100 credentialed 3M coding experts, 3M is the go-to partner for more than 5,000 hospitals worldwide that want to improve quality and financial performance. Visit www.3MHIS.com.

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