Systems and methods for processing benefits

• US 20040128245A1
• Filed: 07/30/2003
• Published: 07/01/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Conduent Business Services, LLC (Conduent, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: ACS State & Local Solutions Incorporated (Conduent, Inc.)
• Inventors: Neal, Irma Jean, Schneider, David
• Granted Patent: US 7,774,273 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/40
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/1057 Benefits or employee welfare, e.g. insurance, holiday or retirement packages
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/127 Shopping or accessing services according to a time-limitation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/342 Cards defining paid or billed services or quantities
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40 Authorisation, e.g. identification of payer or payee, verification of customer or shop credentials; Review and approval of payers, e.g. check credit lines or negative lists
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/22 in combination with an identity check of the pass holder
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0014 for vending, access and use of specific services not covered anywhere else in G07F17/00 meter-controlled dispensing of liquid, gas or electricity G07F15/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/025 by means, e.g. cards, providing billing information at the time of purchase, e.g. identification of seller or purchaser, quantity of goods delivered or to be delivered

Abstract

Systems and methods for processing, for example, childcare benefits include: issuing a benefit card to a childcare customer; receiving a start time for childcare service at a childcare provider, the start time recorded by using the benefit card at a terminal located at the childcare provider at the start of childcare service; receiving an end time for childcare service at the childcare provider, the end time recorded by using the benefit card at a terminal located at the childcare provider at the end of childcare service; computing the childcare benefit eligibility based on the start time, the end time and benefits available for the childcare customer; and paying the childcare provider a payment based on the computed benefit eligibility.

Claims

1. A method for processing benefits payments to a services provider for authorized services provided by the service provider, comprising:

issuing a benefit token with a unique machine-readable identifier to a customer;

reading the identifier from the benefit token at a terminal located at the provider at the beginning of a service session to generate a start time;

reading the identifier from the benefit token at the terminal at the end of the service session to generate an end time;

transmitting a transaction record including the start time and the end time to a processing system;

computing a benefit payment based on the start time, the end time, and an eligibility criteria; and

transmitting the benefit payment to the services provider.

2. A method for processing childcare benefits payments to a childcare services provider for authorized services provided by the childcare service provider, comprising:

issuing a benefit token with a unique machine-readable identifier to a customer;

reading the identifier from the benefit token at a terminal located at the childcare service provider at the beginning of a service session to generate a start time;

reading the identifier from the benefit token at the terminal at the end of the service session to generate an end time;

transmitting a transaction record including the start time and the end time to a processing system;

computing a childcare benefit payment based on the start time, the end time, and an eligibility criteria; and

transmitting the childcare benefit payment to the childcare services provider.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

receiving a co-payment amount from the customer.

4. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

approving the service of the childcare services provider.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein recording the start time comprises:

recording at least a date and a time corresponding to the start time.

6. The method of claim 2 wherein recording the end time comprises:

recording at least a date and a time corresponding to the end time.

7. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

subjecting the payment to at least one business rule.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the at least one business rule provides at least one state-specific rule.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the state-specific rule limits the maximum duration for which a childcare service provider may be paid in a predetermined duration.

10. The method of claim 2 wherein the recorded start times and end times are stored at the terminal.

11. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

receiving a request from the customer through a graphical user interface for accessing at least account balance information concerning at least one type of childcare service; and

displaying the at least account balance information concerning the at least one type of childcare service to the customer through the graphical user interface.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the graphical user interface is a web browser interface.

13. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

receiving a request from the childcare service provider through a graphical user interface for accessing at least one payment; and

displaying the at least account balance information concerning the at least one payment to the childcare service provider through the graphical user interface.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the graphical user interface is a web browser interface.

15. The method of claim 13 further comprising:

displaying at least one electronic message concerning the inquiry to the childcare service provider through the graphical user interface.

16. The method of claim 2 wherein the childcare service provider is an authorized childcare service provider.

17. An apparatus for processing benefits, comprising:

an issuing component to issue a benefit token to a customer;

a receiving component to receive a start time record for service at a service provider, the start time record recorded in at a terminal located at the service provider at the start of service through use of the benefit token, and to receive an end time record for service at the service provider, the end time record recorded at a terminal located at the service provider at the end of service through use of the benefit token;

a computing component to compute the benefit eligibility based on the start time record, the end time record, and benefits available for the customer; and

a payment component to pay the service provider a payment based on the computed benefit eligibility.

18. An apparatus for processing childcare benefits, comprising:

an issuing component to issue a benefit token to a customer;

a receiving component to receive a start time record for service at a childcare service provider, the start time record recorded in at a terminal located at the childcare service provider at the start of service through use of the benefit token, and to receive an end time record for service at the childcare service provider, the end time record recorded at a terminal located at the childcare service provider at the end of service through use of the benefit token;

a computing component to compute the childcare benefit eligibility based on the start time record, the end time record, and benefits available for the customer; and

a payment component to pay the service provider a payment based on the computed childcare benefit eligibility.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 further comprising a co-payment receiving component to receive a co-payment amount from the customer.

20. The apparatus of claim 18 further comprises:

an approving component to approve the service of the childcare service provider.

21. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein the start time record comprises at least a date and a time corresponding to the start time.

22. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein the end time record comprises at least a date and a time corresponding to the end time.

23. The apparatus of claim 18 further comprising a subjecting component to subject the payment to at least one business rule.

24. The apparatus of claim 23 wherein the at least one business rule provides at least one state-specific rule.

25. The apparatus of claim 24 wherein the state-specific rule limits the maximum duration for which the childcare service provider may be paid in a predetermined duration.

26. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein the start time record and end time record are stored at the terminal.

27. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein the childcare service provider is an authorized childcare service provider.

28. A system for processing benefits, comprising:

means for issuing a benefit token to a customer;

means for receiving a start time for service at a service provider, the start time recorded by using the benefit token at a terminal located at the service provider at the start of service;

means for receiving an end time for service at the service provider, the end time recorded by using the benefit token at a terminal located at the service provider at the end of service;

means for computing a benefit eligibility based on the start time, the end time and benefits available for the customer; and

means for paying the service provider a payment based on the computed benefit eligibility.

29. A system for processing childcare benefits, comprising:

means for issuing a benefit token to a customer;

means for receiving a start time for service at a childcare service provider, the start time recorded by using the benefit token at a terminal located at the childcare service provider at the start of service;

means for receiving an end time for service at the childcare service provider, the end time recorded by using the benefit token at a terminal located at the childcare service provider at the end of service;

means for computing a childcare benefit eligibility based on the start time, the end time and benefits available for the customer; and

means for paying the service provider a payment based on the computed childcare benefit eligibility.

30. The system of claim 29 further comprising:

means for receiving a co-payment amount from the customer.

31. The system of claim 29 further comprising:

means for approving the service of the childcare service provider.

32. The system of claim 29 wherein the means for recording the start time comprises:

means for recording at least a date and a time corresponding to the start time.

33. The system of claim 29 wherein the means for recording the end time comprises:

means for recording at least a date and a time corresponding to the end time.

34. The system of claim 29 further comprising:

means for subjecting the payment to at least one business rule.

35. The system of claim 34 wherein the at least one business rule provides at least one state-specific rule.

36. The system of claim 35 wherein the state-specific rule limits the maximum duration for which the childcare service provider may be paid in a predetermined duration.

37. The system of claim 29 further comprising a means for storing start times and end times at the terminal.

38. The system of claim 29 further comprising:

means for receiving a request from the customer through a graphical user interface for accessing at least account balance information concerning at least one type of service; and

means for displaying the at least account balance information concerning the at least one type of service to the customer through the graphical user interface.

39. The system of claim 38 wherein the graphical user interface is a web browser interface.

40. The system of claim 39 further comprising:

means for receiving a request from the childcare service provider through a graphical user interface for accessing at least one payment; and

means for displaying the at least account balance information concerning the at least one payment to the childcare service provider through the graphical user interface.

41. The system of claim 40 wherein the graphical user interface is a web browser interface.

42. The system of claim 40 further comprising:

means for displaying at least one electronic message concerning the inquiry to the childcare service provider through the graphical user interface.

43. The system of claim 29 wherein the childcare service provider is an authorized childcare service provider.

44. A computer-readable medium containing instructions for controlling a data processing system to perform a method for processing benefits, the method comprising the steps of:

issuing a benefit token with a unique machine-readable identifier to a customer;

reading the identifier from the benefit token at a terminal located at the provider at the beginning of a service session to generate a start time;

reading the identifier from the benefit token at the terminal at the end of the service session to generate an end time;

transmitting a transaction record including the start time and the end time to a processing system;

computing benefit payment based on the start time, the end time, and an eligibility criteria; and

transmitting the benefit payment to the services provider.

45. A computer-readable medium containing instructions for controlling a data processing system to perform a method for processing childcare benefits, the method comprising the steps of:

issuing a benefit token with a unique machine-readable identifier to a customer;

reading the identifier from the benefit token at a terminal located at the childcare services provider at the beginning of a service session to generate a start time;

reading the identifier from the benefit token at the terminal at the end of the service session to generate an end time;

transmitting a transaction record including the start time and the end time to a processing system;

computing a childcare benefit payment based on the start time, the end time, and an eligibility criteria; and

transmitting the childcare benefit payment to the childcare services provider.

46. The computer-readable medium of claim 45 further comprising the step of:

receiving a co-payment amount from the customer.

47. The computer-readable medium of claim 45 further comprising the step of:

approving the service of the childcare service provider.

48. The computer-readable medium of claim 45 wherein the step of recording the start time comprises:

recording at least a date and a time corresponding to the start time.

49. The computer-readable medium of claim 45 wherein the step of recording the end time comprises:

recording at least a date and a time corresponding to the end time.

50. The computer-readable medium of claim 45 further comprising the step of:

subjecting the childcare benefit payment to at least one business rule.

51. The computer-readable medium of claim 50, wherein the at least one business rule provides at least one state-specific rule.

52. The computer-readable medium of claim 50, wherein the state-specific rule limits the maximum duration for which the childcare service provider may be paid in a predetermined duration.

53. The computer-readable medium of claim 45, wherein the recorded start times and end times are stored at the terminal.

54. The computer-readable medium of claim 45 further comprising the step of:

receiving a request from the customer through a graphical user interface for accessing at least account balance information concerning at least one type of childcare service; and

displaying the at least account balance information concerning the at least one type of childcare service to the customer through the graphical user interface.

55. The computer-readable medium of claim 54, wherein the graphical user interface is a web browser interface.

56. The computer-readable medium of claim 45 further comprising the step of:

receiving a request from the childcare service provider through a graphical user interface for accessing at least one payment; and

displaying the at least account balance information concerning the at least one payment to the childcare service provider through the graphical user interface.

57. The computer-readable medium of claim 56, wherein the graphical user interface is a web browser interface.

58. The computer-readable medium of claim 56, further comprising:

displaying at least one electronic message concerning the inquiry to the childcare service provider through the graphical user interface.

59. The computer-readable medium of claim 45, wherein the childcare service provider is an authorized childcare service provider.

60. A method for managing benefits, comprising:

providing a web browser based administrative terminal to at least one benefits administrator for managing at least one type of benefit;

creating an account for at least one customer using the web browser based administrative terminal;

issuing a benefit token to the at least one customer for at least one type of service;

receiving a transaction record, including a start time and an end time for service at a service provider for the at least one customer;

calculating a benefits payments based on the transaction record and the at least one type of benefit; and

providing payment to the service provider based on the service.

61. A method for managing childcare benefits, comprising:

providing a web browser based administrative terminal to at least one benefits administrator for managing at least one type of childcare benefit;

creating an account for at least one customer using the web browser based administrative terminal;

issuing a benefit token to the at least one customer for at least one type of childcare service;

receiving a transaction record, including a start time and an end time for service at a childcare service provider for the at least one customer;

calculating a childcare benefits payment based on the transaction record and the at least one type of childcare benefit; and

providing payment to the childcare service provider based on the service.

62. The method of claim 61, further comprising:

replacing at least one lost or stolen benefit token.

63. The method of claim 61, further comprising:

issuing at least one code corresponding to the benefit token to that at least one customer.

64. The method of claim 61, further comprising:

storing each transaction record regarding the account for the at least one customer for the at least one type of childcare benefit in at least one record log.

65. A system for managing benefits, comprising:

a providing component to provide a web browser based administrative terminal to at least one benefits administrator for managing at least one type of benefit;

a creating component to create an account for at least one customer using the web browser based administrative terminal;

a token issuing component to issue a benefit token to the at least one customer for the at least one type of service;

a receiving component to receive a transaction record, including a start time and an end time for service at a service provider for the at least one customer;

a calculating component to calculate a benefits payments based on the transaction record and the at least one type of benefit; and

a payment component to provide to the service provider based on the service.

66. A system for managing childcare benefits, comprising:

a providing component to provide a web browser based administrative terminal to at least one benefits administrator for managing at least one type of childcare benefit;

a creating component to create an account for at least one customer using the web browser based administrative terminal;

a token issuing component to issue a benefit token to the at least one customer for the at least one type of childcare service;

a receiving component to receive a transaction record, including a start time and an end time for service at a childcare service provider for the at least one customer;

a calculating component to calculate a childcare benefit payment based on the transaction record and the at least one type of childcare benefit; and

a payment component to provide to the childcare service provider based on the service.

67. The method of claim 66, further comprising:

a replacing component to replace at least one lost or stolen benefit token.

68. The method of claim 66, further comprising:

a code issuing component to issue at least one code corresponding to the benefit token to that at least one customer.

69. The system of claim 66, further comprising:

a storing component to store each transaction record regarding the account for the at least one customer for the at least one type of childcare benefit in at least one record log.

70. A system for managing benefits, comprising:

means for providing a web browser based administrative terminal to at least one benefits administrator for managing at least one type of benefit;

means for creating an account for at least one customer using the web browser based administrative terminal;

means for issuing a benefit token to the at least one customer for the at least one type of service;

means for receiving a transaction record, including a start time and an end time for service at a service provider for the at least one customer;

means for calculating a benefits payments based on the transaction record and the at least one type of benefit; and

means for providing payment to the service provider based on the service.

71. A system for managing childcare benefits, comprising:

means for providing a web browser based administrative terminal to at least one benefits administrator for managing at least one type of childcare benefit;

means for creating an account for at least one customer using the web browser based administrative terminal;

means for issuing a benefit token to the at least one customer for the at least one type of childcare service;

means for receiving a transaction record, including a start time and an end time for service at a childcare service provider for the at least one customer;

means for calculating a childcare benefit payment based on the transaction record and the at least one type of childcare benefit; and

means for providing payment to the childcare service provider based on the service.

72. The system of claim 71 further comprising:

means for replacing at least one lost or stolen benefit token.

73. The system of claim 71 further comprising:

means for issuing at least one code corresponding to the benefit token to the at least one customer.

74. The system of claim 71 further comprising:

means for storing each transaction record regarding the account for the at least one customer for the at least one type of childcare benefit in at least one record log.

75. A computer-readable medium containing instructions for controlling a data processing system to perform a method for managing benefits, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a web browser based administrative terminal to at least one benefits administrator for managing at least one type of benefit;

creating an account for at least one customer using the web browser based administrative terminal;

issuing a benefit token to the at least one customer for the at least one type of service;

receiving a transaction record, including a start time and an end time for service at a service provider for the at least one customer;

calculating a benefit payment based on the transaction record and the at least one type of benefit; and

providing payment to the service provider based on the service.

76. A computer-readable medium containing instructions for controlling a data processing system to perform a method for managing childcare benefits, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a web browser based administrative terminal to at least one benefits administrator for managing at least one type of childcare benefit;

creating an account for at least one customer using the web browser based administrative terminal;

issuing a benefit token to the at least one customer for the at least one type of childcare service;

receiving a transaction record, including a start time and an end time for service at a childcare service provider for the at least one customer;

calculating a childcare benefit payment based on the transaction record and the at least one type of childcare benefit; and

providing payment to the childcare service provider based on the service.

77. The computer-readable medium of claim 76 further comprising the steps of:

replacing at least one lost or stolen benefit token.

78. The computer-readable medium of claim 76 further comprising the steps of:

issuing at least one code corresponding to the benefit token to that at least one customer.

79. The computer-readable medium of claim 76 further comprising the steps of:

storing each transaction record regarding the account for the at least one customer for the at least one type of childcare benefit in at least one record log.

80. A method for tracking and managing benefit services, comprising:

recording start time of services provided at each of a plurality of service providers;

recording end time of the services;

processing at least the start time and the end time;

computing a payment based on the start time and the end time;

making the payment to service providers; and

generating a report based on the processed start time and end time.

81. A method for tracking and managing childcare benefit services, comprising:

recording start time of services provided at each of a plurality of childcare service providers;

recording end time of the services;

processing at least the start time and the end time;

computing a payment based on the start time and the end time;

making the payment to childcare service providers; and

generating a report based on the processed start time and end time.

82. The method of claim 81, wherein generating a report comprises:

generating at least one of a payment report, a data activity report, and an unusual activity report.

83. A system for tracking and managing services, comprising:

a recording component to record a start time of services provided at each of a plurality of service providers, and record an end time of the services;

a processing component to process at least the start time and the end time;

a computing component to compute a payment based on the start time and the end time;

a payment component to make the payment to service providers; and

a report generating component to generate a report based on the processed start time and end time.

84. A system for tracking and managing childcare services, comprising:

a recording component to record a start time of services provided at each of a plurality of childcare service providers, and record an end time of the services;

a processing component to process at least the start time and the end time;

a computing component to compute a payment based on the start time and the end time;

a payment component to make the payment to childcare service providers; and

a report generating component to generate a report based on the processed start time and end time.

85. The system of claim 84, wherein the report generating component comprises a payment report generating component for generating a payment report, a data activity report component for generating a data activity report, and an unusual activity report component for generating an unusual activity report.

86. A system for tracking and managing benefit services, comprising:

means for electronically recording start time of services provided at each of a plurality of providers;

means for electronically recording end time of the services;

means for processing at least the start time and the end time;

means for computing a payment based on the start time and the end time;

means for making the payment to service providers; and

means for generated a report based on the processed start time and end time.

87. A system for tracking and managing childcare benefit services, comprising:

means for electronically recording start time of services provided at each of a plurality of childcare service providers;

means for electronically recording end time of the services;

means for processing at least the start time and the end time;

means for computing a payment based on the start time and the end time;

means for making the payment to the childcare service providers; and

means for generated a report based on the processed start time and end time.

88. The system of claim 87, wherein generating a report comprises:

means for generating at least one of a payment report, a data activity report, and an unusual activity report.

89. A computer-readable medium containing instructions for controlling a data processing system to perform a method for tracking and managing benefit services, the method comprising the steps of:

electronically recording start time of services provided at each of a plurality of service providers;

electronically recording end time of the services;

processing at least the start time and the end time;

computing a payment based on the start time and the end time;

making the payment to service provider; and

generated a report based on the processed start time and end time.

90. A computer-readable medium containing instructions for controlling a data processing system to perform a method for tracking and managing childcare benefit services, the method comprising the steps of:

electronically recording start time of services provided at each of a plurality of childcare service providers;

electronically recording end time of the services;

processing at least the start time and the end time;

computing a payment based on the start time and the end time;

making the payment to the childcare service providers; and

generated a report based on the processed start time and end time.

91. The computer-readable medium of claim 90, wherein generating a report comprises the steps of:

generating at least one of a payment report, a data activity report, and an unusual activity report.