SYSTEM AND METHOD TO BILL A HEALTHCARE ENTITY FOR USE OF AN ASSET OF A SUPPLIER

• US 20080201166A1
• Filed: 02/16/2007
• Published: 08/21/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/16/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Sievenpiper, Crispian, Warner, Adrian F.
• Application Number:
  US11/675,885
• Publication Number:
  US 20080201166A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/2
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/40 for data related to laboratory analysis, e.g. patient specimen analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 30/20 for handling medical images, e.g. DICOM, HL7 or PACS

Abstract

A system to bill a healthcare entity for use of an asset of a supplier is provided. The system includes a computer in communication to track use of the asset, and a computer readable storage medium having programmable instructions for execution by the computer. The programmable instructions include receiving a request from the healthcare entity for use of the asset; identifying an identifier correlated to the request, the identifier correlated to a request for reimbursement from the insurer; tracking use of the asset by the healthcare entity; detecting receipt of the reimbursement at the healthcare entity from the insurer; calculating a percentage of the reimbursement to bill the healthcare entity for use of the asset correlated to the reimbursement; and generating an output for communication to the healthcare entity. The output includes a display that shows the identifier and the percentage of the reimbursement billed to the healthcare entity.

Claims

1. A system to bill a healthcare entity for use of an asset owned by a supplier, the system including a computer in communication to track use of the asset, the system further including a computer readable storage medium having a plurality of programmable instructions for execution by the computer, the programmable instructions including:

receiving a request at the computer for use of the asset;

receiving at least one token from the healthcare entity, the tokens representative of a monetary payment;

enabling use of the asset upon receipt of the at least one token;

tracking use of the asset by the healthcare entity;

calculating an expenditure of credit in accordance to tracked use of the asset, the expenditure of credit evaluated in a bill of tokens;

calculating a balance equal to a difference of the receipt of the at least one token less the bill of tokens; and

generating an output that includes a display illustrative of the balance for communication to the healthcare entity.

2. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the asset includes at least one of a patient monitor, an imaging system, a picture archival system, a laboratory analysis system.

3. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the asset includes a diagnostic contrast agent.

4. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the programmable instructions further include disabling use of the asset by the healthcare entity upon calculating the balance below a threshold value.

5. The system as recited in claim 4, wherein the computer is attached in communication with the asset.

6. A system to bill a healthcare entity for use of an asset of a supplier in the medical care of a patient covered by an insurer, the system including a computer in communication to track use of the medical product, the system including a computer readable storage medium having a plurality of programmable instructions for execution by a processor, the programmable instructions including:

receiving a request from the healthcare entity for use of the asset;

identifying an identifier correlated to the request, the identifier correlated to a request for reimbursement from the insurer;

tracking use of the asset by the healthcare entity;

detecting by the supplier of a receipt of the reimbursement at the healthcare entity as received from the insurer related to the use of the asset in treatment of the patient, the reimbursement correlated to the identifier;

calculating a percentage of the reimbursement billed to the healthcare entity for use of the asset correlated to the reimbursement; and

generating an output for communication to the healthcare entity, the output including a display that shows the identifier and the percentage of the reimbursement billed to the healthcare entity.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the identifier includes one of a plurality of billing codes predetermined between the insurer and the healthcare entity to be included in a request for reimbursement from the insurer.

8. The system as recited in claim 7, wherein the programming instructions further include:

receiving and storing the plurality of billing codes and a fee schedule correlated to the plurality of billing codes; and

automatically transferring a predetermined percentage of the reimbursement received at the healthcare entity for payment to the supplier.

9. The system as recited in claim 6, wherein the plurality of billing codes include at least one of a healthcare common procedure coding system (HCPCS), an international classification of diseases-Clinical Modification Diagnosis and Procedure Coding System (ICD-CM);

current procedural terminology (CPT) coding system;

diagnostic related group (DRG) classification system.

10. The system as recited in claim 6, wherein the programming instructions further include:

calculating a percentage of the reimbursement to bill the healthcare entity for use of the asset of the supplier,

wherein the bill to the healthcare entity is the percentage of the reimbursement.

11. The system of claim 6, wherein the programmable instructions further include:

receiving a request for use of the asset;

tracking an active time duration of operation that the asset is generating an output;

tracking an idle time duration that the asset is not generating an output;

calculating a first fee in accordance to the active time duration and a second fee in accordance to the idle time duration, the first fee different than the second fee; and

calculating a total fee equal to a sum of the first and second fees; and

generating an output that includes a display of a bill for the total fee for communication to the healthcare entity.

12. The system of claim 6, wherein the identifier includes a patient identifier correlated to the use of the asset of the supplier.

13. The system of claim 6, wherein the asset includes at least one of a patient monitor, an imaging system, a picture archival system, a laboratory analysis system.

14. The system as recited in claim 6, wherein the asset includes a diagnostic contrast agent.

15. A system to bill a healthcare entity for use of an asset of a supplier, the system including:

a meter and a computer in communication with the asset, the computer including a computer readable storage medium having a plurality of programmable instructions for execution by a processor, the programmable instructions including;

receiving a request for use of the asset;

measuring an amount of data output flowing from use of the asset via the meter;

calculating an expenditure in accordance to the value of the data output from use of the asset; and

generating an output that includes a display illustrative of the value of the data output and the expenditure billed to the healthcare entity.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the asset includes at least one of a patient monitor, an imaging system, a picture archival system, a laboratory analysis system.

17. The system as recited in claim 15, wherein the asset includes a diagnostic contrast agent.

18. The system as recited in claim 15, wherein the healthcare entity is billed per byte of data.

19. The system as recited in claim 15, wherein the programming further include:

detecting receipt of a reimbursement at the healthcare entity correlated to insurance coverage of the patient;

automatically transferring a predetermined percentage of the reimbursement received at the healthcare entity for payment to the supplier for use of the asset.

20. The system as recited in claim 15, wherein the computer is integrated with the meter and is attached so as to move with movement of the asset.