Real-time benefits service marketplace

• US 20050015277A1
• Filed: 07/15/2003
• Published: 01/20/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Mau, Andreas
• Granted Patent: US 7,933,785 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/2
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance

Abstract

A method for managing employee benefits in real-time includes receiving, from an employer, requirements for benefits; transmitting the requirements to one or more benefits providers; receiving bids from the one or more benefits providers to satisfy the requirements for benefits; receiving, from the employer, an authorization to enroll benefits of a selected benefits provider from the one or more benefits providers; and transmitting the authorization to the selected benefits provider.

Claims

1. A method for managing employee benefits in real-time, the method comprising:

receiving, from an employer, requirements for benefits;

transmitting the requirements to one or more benefits providers;

receiving bids from the one or more benefits providers to satisfy the requirements for benefits;

receiving, from the employer, an authorization to enroll benefits of a selected benefits provider from the one or more benefits providers; and

transmitting the authorization to the selected benefits provider.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the authorization comprises receiving an electronic signature from the employer.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving, from the employer, electronic payment for the benefits.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving requests for payment for the benefits from the selected benefits provider.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

receiving, from the employer, electronic payment for the benefits; and

transmitting electronic payment for the benefits to the selected benefits provider.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising receiving a carrier receipt from the selected benefits provider.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising transmitting a carrier receipt to the employer.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the benefits comprise at least one of health care benefits, life insurance benefits, savings plans, stock option plans, pension plans, 401K plans, credit plans, flexible spending accounts, and claims processing for flexible spending accounts.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving and transmitting are performed using a markup language.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the markup language comprises Extensible Markup Language (XML).

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, from the employer, a request to change benefits for the employee; and

transmitting, to the selected benefits provider, the request to change benefits.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, from the employer, a request to stop benefits; and

transmitting, to the selected benefits provider, the request to stop benefits.

13. Machine-readable media that store executable instructions for managing employee benefits in real-time, the instructions causing one or more machines to:

receive, from an employer, requirements for benefits;

transmit the requirements to one or more benefits providers;

receive bids from the one or more benefits providers to satisfy the requirements for benefits;

receive, from the employer, an authorization to enroll benefits of a selected benefits provider from the one or more benefits providers; and

transmit the authorization to the selected benefits provider.

14. The machine-readable media of claim 13, wherein receiving the authorization comprises receiving an electronic signature from the employer.

15. The machine-readable media of claim 13, wherein the instructions further cause the machine to receive, from the employer, electronic payment for the benefits.

16. The machine-readable media of claim 13, wherein the instructions further cause the machine to receive requests for payment for the benefits from the selected benefits provider.

17. The machine-readable media of claim 16, wherein the instructions further cause the machine to:

receive, from the employer, electronic payment for the benefits; and

transmit electronic payment for the benefits to the selected benefits provider.

18. The machine-readable media of claim 17, wherein the instructions further cause the machine to receive a carrier receipt from the selected benefits provider.

19. The machine-readable media of claim 17, wherein the instructions further cause the machine to transmit a carrier receipt to the employer.

20. The machine-readable media of claim 13, wherein the benefits comprise health care benefits, life insurance benefits, savings plans, stock option plans, pension plans, 401K plans, credit plans, flexible spending accounts, and claims processing for flexible spending accounts.

21. The machine-readable media of claim 13, wherein to receive and to transmit are performed using a markup language.

22. The machine-readable media of claim 21, wherein the markup language comprises Extensible Markup Language (XML).

23. The machine-readable media of claim 13, wherein the instructions further cause the machine to:

receive, from the employer, a request to change benefits for the employee; and

transmit, to the selected benefits provider, the request to change benefits.

24. The machine-readable media of claim 13, wherein the instructions further cause the machine to:

receive, from the employer, a request to stop benefits; and

transmit, to the selected benefits provider, the request to stop benefits.

25. A system for managing employee benefits in real-time, the system comprising:

an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system to manage human resources information for a company with employees; and

one or more computers to manage information for one or more benefits providers, at least one computer configured to;

receive, via a network and the ERP system, requirements for benefits services for an employee;

transmit the requirements, via the network, for benefits services to the one or more of the computers managing information for one or more benefits providers;

receive, via the network, bids to satisfy the requirements for benefits services from the one or more computers;

transmit the bids to the ERP system via the network;

receive, via the network and from the ERP system, an authorization to enroll the services of a selected benefits provider from the one or more computers; and

transmit the authorization via the network to a computer managing information for the selected benefits provider.

26. A system for managing employee benefits in real-time, the system comprising:

one or more computers managing information for one or more benefits providers;

an Enterprise Resource Planner (ERP) to manage human resources information for a company with employees, the ERP being configured to;

obtain requirements for benefits;

transmit, via the network, the requirements to the one or more computers;

receive, via the network, bids to satisfy the requirements from the one or more computers;

obtain an authorization to enroll the services of a selected benefits provider; and

transmit, via the network, the authorization to a computer managing information for the selected benefits provider.