Three of the nation's leading Blue health plans, Highmark, Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey (Horizon), and Independence Blue Cross (IBC), along with health IT provider Lumeris Corp., announced yesterday they have closed their transaction and finalized their arrangement to acquire NaviNet. Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.

"This new partnership is a great example of forward-thinking organizations working together to generate positive change, leverage the most modern technology, and activate the brightest minds in our industry," said Daniel J. Hilferty, president and CEO of Independence Blue Cross. "By acquiring NaviNet together, we are taking an important step toward transforming the delivery of health care in our country."

Through the new partnership, NaviNet will leverage its real-time communication network and Lumeris' accountable care delivery platform to drive the adoption of new accountable care models throughout the country. All over the nation, health plans, including Highmark, Horizon, and IBC, are developing new value-based payment models that reward physicians for highly coordinated, high-quality, more cost-effective care. The integration of NaviNet and Lumeris' capabilities will allow plans to develop next generation accountable care delivery systems to contain costs and improve quality, while continuing to handle administrative transactions easily and efficiently.

Provider access to the NaviNet portal will remain unchanged, and the services, workflows, and transactions used to interact with health plans will be unaffected.

For more information, please read the IBC press release.