Interactive electronic bill payment system

• US 20040049439A1
• Filed: 10/22/2002
• Published: 03/11/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Emergis Incorporated (Telus Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Emergis Incorporated (Telus Corporation)
• Inventors: Ransom, Bob, Johnston, David, Schmidt, Mike, Grosman, Ilan
• Granted Patent: US 8,108,274 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03

Abstract

A system for coordinating the submission and processing of a bill according to predictive payment data of a plan. The system comprises a provider interface and an integrated database for receiving a predictive payment plan submitted from the provider interface. The system also has a predictive payment request of the plan storable in the database, the request including a plurality of predictive payment parameters. An adjudication engine is coupled to the integrated database, and an insertion function is used for inserting the predictive payment parameters, when stored in the database, into an adjudication rule set of the adjudication engine. The adjudication rule set is used for eventual adjudication of the predictive payment data, wherein adjudication of the predictive payment data results in the generation of the bill. The system also has a workflow engine coupled to the integrated database for coordinating the processing of the electronic bill and for updating the bill information in response to the bill processing. A management system is coupled to the integrated database for monitoring the contents of the integrated database accessible by the provider interface, wherein the provider can coordinate real-time retrieval of submission and status details for bill information contained in the integrated database.

Claims

1. An electronic bill processing system for coordinating the submission and processing of an electronic bill corresponding to a provider of insurance services, the system comprising;

a) a provider interface;

b) an integrated database coupled to the provider interface for storing bill information pertaining to the electronic bill;

c) a workflow engine coupled to the integrated database for coordinating the processing of the electronic bill and for updating the bill information in response to the bill processing; and

d) a management system coupled to the integrated database for monitoring the contents of the integrated database accessible by the provider interface;

wherein the provider can coordinate real-time retrieval of submission and status details for bill information contained in the integrated database.

2. The system according to claim 1 further comprising a search function for accessing the integrated database through the provider interface, the search function having a number of search options for retrieving the bill information.

3. A method for coordinating the submission and processing of a bill according to predictive payment data of a plan, the method comprising the steps of:

a) storing the predictive payment data corresponding to the plan in a database coupled to an adjudication engine;

b) inserting a predictive payment parameter into a rule set of the adjudication engine for eventual adjudication of the predictive payment data at a predefined interval, the predictive payment parameter corresponding to a content of the plan;

c) triggering a creation of the electronic bill at the predefined interval according to the predictive payment parameter;

d) retrieving the predictive payment data from the database and providing the predictive payment data to the adjudication engine;

e) updating the predictive payment parameter for recognising the submission of the payment data to the adjudication engine; and

f) generating the bill as defined by the predictive payment data of the plan once adjudicated.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein a plurality of service codes is included with the predictive payment parameter.

5. A system for coordinating the submission and processing of a bill according to predictive payment data of a plan, the system comprising:

a) a provider interface;

b) an integrated database for receiving a predictive payment plan submitted from the provider interface;

c) a predictive payment request of the plan storable in the database, the request including a plurality of predictive payment parameters;

d) an adjudication engine coupled to the integrated database; and

e) an insertion function for inserting the predictive payment parameters, when stored in the database, into an adjudication rule set of the adjudication engine, the adjudication rule set for eventual adjudication of the predictive payment data;

wherein adjudication of the predictive payment data results in the generation of the bill.

6. The system according to claim 5 further comprising a workflow engine for coordinating the insertion of the predictive payment parameters into the adjudication rule set.