METHODS, PROGRAM PRODUCT, AND SYSTEMS FOR HEALTHCARE PRACTICE MANAGEMENT
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method of managing an outpatient healthcare practice participating in an insurance network, the method comprising the steps of:
- analyzing data from each of a plurality of physicians in the healthcare practice participating in the insurance network including ancillary medical costs;
identifying responsive to the analysis at least one of the plurality of physicians in the healthcare practice participating in the insurance network that is at risk of not receiving the predetermined reimbursement amount for the ancillary medical costs from the insurance network by engaging in medical procedures other than those attributed directly to a medical procedure performed by a physician and that are detrimental to receiving the predetermined reimbursement amount for the ancillary medical costs;
modifying management behavior of the at least one of the plurality of physicians at risk regarding the ancillary medical costs responsive to the identifying; and
determining that the risk of not receiving the predetermined reimbursement amount for the ancillary medical costs from the insurance network has been reduced responsive to the modifying to increase the profitability of the healthcare practice.
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Abstract
Methods, program product, and systems are provided for optimizing profits for healthcare practices and insurance networks. The methods, program product, and systems include modifying physician'"'"'s cost management behavior to enhance profitability of healthcare practices and insurance networks by identifying physicians that are not profitable because of cost management behavior and providing intervention to change the management behavior of the physician.
63 Citations
25 Claims
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1. A method of managing an outpatient healthcare practice participating in an insurance network, the method comprising the steps of:
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analyzing data from each of a plurality of physicians in the healthcare practice participating in the insurance network including ancillary medical costs;
identifying responsive to the analysis at least one of the plurality of physicians in the healthcare practice participating in the insurance network that is at risk of not receiving the predetermined reimbursement amount for the ancillary medical costs from the insurance network by engaging in medical procedures other than those attributed directly to a medical procedure performed by a physician and that are detrimental to receiving the predetermined reimbursement amount for the ancillary medical costs;
modifying management behavior of the at least one of the plurality of physicians at risk regarding the ancillary medical costs responsive to the identifying; and
determining that the risk of not receiving the predetermined reimbursement amount for the ancillary medical costs from the insurance network has been reduced responsive to the modifying to increase the profitability of the healthcare practice. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method of optimizing the profitability of an insurance network having a plurality of physicians in a healthcare practice participating therein by managing ancillary medical costs, the method comprising the steps of:
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analyzing data from each of the plurality of physicians in the healthcare practice participating in the insurance network including management of medical costs other than those attributed directly to medical procedures performed by any of the plurality of physicians to thereby define ancillary medical costs;
identifying responsive to the analysis at least one of the plurality of physicians in the healthcare practice participating in the insurance network that is at risk of not receiving a predetermined reimbursement amount for the ancillary medical costs from the insurance network by performing activities that are detrimental to receiving the predetermined reimbursement amount for the ancillary medical costs;
modifying management behavior of the at least one of the plurality of physicians in the healthcare practice regarding ancillary medical costs that are not profitable for the insurance network responsive to the identifying; and
providing a financial incentive to the insurance network and the plurality of physicians in the healthcare practice participating in the insurance network to modify the plurality of physicians'"'"' management behavior of ancillary medical costs that are not as profitable to the insurance network. - View Dependent Claims (12)
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13. Computer executable program product for managing a healthcare practice including a plurality of physicians and participating in an insurance network, stored on a tangible computer medium, comprising:
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an analyzer in communication with at least one database for analyzing data in the at least one database and comparing ancillary medical procedures that are preferred by the insurance network with the ancillary medical costs of the plurality of physicians participating in the insurance network to thereby identify ancillary medical costs of the physicians that are not preferred by the insurance network; and
managing means responsive to the analyzer for managing the ancillary medical costs of the healthcare practice identified as not being preferred by the insurance network to thereby modify the ancillary medical costs of the physicians in the healthcare practice to be more profitable to the insurance network, the managing means including an identifier for identifying responsive to the analyzer at least one of the plurality of physicians in the healthcare practice participating in the insurance network that is at a greater risk of not receiving a predetermined reimbursement amount for the ancillary medical costs from the insurance network by engaging in ancillary medical procedures that are detrimental to receiving the predetermined reimbursement amount for the ancillary medical costs, and a modifier responsive to the identifier for modifying ancillary medical costs management behavior of the at least one of the plurality of physicians at the greater risk regarding the ancillary medical costs, the managing means further determining responsive to the modifier that the risk of not receiving the predetermined reimbursement amount for the ancillary medical costs from the insurance network has been reduced. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. Computer executable program product for managing a healthcare practice including a plurality of physicians and participating in an insurance network, stored on a tangible computer medium positioned on the server, comprising:
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an updater responsive to a user interface updating each of the plurality of physicians in the healthcare practice of any changes in management of medical costs other than those attributed directly to a medical procedure performed directly by any of the plurality of physicians to thereby define ancillary medical costs and that are preferred by the insurance network;
recommending means responsive to the user interface for recommending to each of the plurality of physicians alternative medical procedures other than those performed directly by any of the plurality of physicians to thereby define ancillary medical procedures and that are preferred by the insurance network;
an analyzer in communication with at least one database and positioned to analyze data in the at least one database and compare ancillary medical procedures that are preferred by the insurance network with ancillary medical costs of the plurality of physicians participating in the insurance network to thereby identify the ancillary medical costs of the physicians that are not preferred by the insurance network; and
managing means responsive to the analyzer for managing the ancillary medical costs of the healthcare practice identified as not being preferred by the insurance network to thereby modify the ancillary medical costs of the physicians in the healthcare practice to be more profitable to the insurance network, the managing means including an identifier for identifying responsive to the analyzer at least one of the plurality of physicians in the healthcare practice participating in the insurance network that is at a greater risk of not receiving a predetermined reimbursement amount for the ancillary medical costs from the insurance network by engaging in ancillary medical procedures that are detrimental to receiving the predetermined reimbursement amount for the ancillary medical costs, and a modifier responsive to the identifier for modifying ancillary medical costs management behavior of the at least one of the plurality of physicians at the greater risk regarding the ancillary medical costs, the managing means further determining responsive to the modifier that the risk of not receiving the predetermined reimbursement amount for the ancillary medical costs from the insurance network has been reduced. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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Specification