Method and system for providing a flexible product purchase account for members of a healthcare organization

• US 20050178828A1
• Filed: 02/17/2005
• Published: 08/18/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Walgreen Co. (Walgreens Boots Alliance Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Walgreen Co. (Walgreens Boots Alliance Incorporated)
• Inventors: Egan, Doug, Agostino, Michael, McArthur, Scott A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,566,000 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/380
• 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 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

A method and system for facilitating a redemption of benefits for a customer with the use of a benefit card is provided that includes associating an identification code with the customer, the identification code being stored on the benefit card, accessing an account record associated with the identification code, and determining if an item presented for purchase by the customer is eligible for a benefit discount. Also included is calculating an appropriate discount for the item if it is determined that the item was eligible for a benefit discount

Claims

1. A method of facilitating a redemption of benefits for a customer with the use of a benefit card comprising:

associating an identification code with the customer, the identification code being stored on the benefit card;

accessing an account record associated with the identification code;

determining if an item presented for purchase by the customer is eligible for a benefit discount; and

calculating an appropriate discount for the item if it is determined that the item was eligible for a benefit discount.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining if an item is eligible for a benefit discount comprises determining if the item is on an approved item list.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining if the item is a prescription item.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining if the discounted amount for the item exceeds a benefit account balance associated with the customer, the benefit account balance being part of the account record associated with the identification code.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating a transaction report of items purchased by customers using their benefit cards, for transmission to a managed care provider.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising deducting a remaining benefit amount from a cost of the item.

7. The method of claim 4, further comprising updating the benefit account balance associated in the accessed account record.

8. The method of claim 4, further comprising updating the benefit account balance on the benefit card.

16. The benefit redemption system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further adapted to determine if the discounted amount for the item exceeds a benefit account balance associated with the customer.

17. The benefit redemption system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further adapted to accumulate a plurality of covered amounts associated with additional items presented for purchase by the customer.

9. A method of facilitating a redemption of a benefit provided by an organization for the purchase of non-prescription items from a retail store comprising:

associating a plurality of non-prescription items with an approved list;

associating a plurality of customers with the approved list, each of the plurality of customers having an identification code;

determining if an item presented for purchase by the one of the plurality of customers is on the approved list associated with the one of the plurality of customers;

accessing a benefit account for one of the plurality of customers, the benefit account corresponding to an identification code for the one of the plurality of customers;

determining a balance of the benefit account;

subtracting a purchase price of the item presented for purchase from the balance of the benefit account; and

updating the balance of the benefit account.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the non-prescription items are over the counter drugs.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising accessing the benefit account for the one of the plurality of customers by receiving data identifying the one of the plurality of customers from a benefit card presented by the one of the plurality of customers.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising accumulating a plurality of covered amounts associated with additional items presented for purchase by the one of the plurality of customers.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising applying the accumulated covered amounts to a transaction balance for the items presented for purchase by the one of the plurality of customers.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the organization is a managed healthcare provider.

15. A benefit redemption system comprising:

a first retail store at a first location, the first retail store having a point of sale terminal and a store server;

a second retail store at a second location, the second retail store having a point of sale terminal and a store server;

a network server and a network operatively coupling the network server and the point of sale terminals and the store servers at the first and second locations;

the network server having a controller with a processor and a memory operatively coupled to the processor, the memory adapted to store data associated with a benefit program that includes a list of a plurality of non-prescription items eligible for discount and a plurality of customers associated with the benefit program;

the controller being programmed to;

determine if an item presented for purchase by a customer at the first retail store is on the list; and

calculate a discount for the item if it was determined that the item was on the list.