Managing Utilization

• US 20110137683A1
• Filed: 02/14/2011
• Published: 06/09/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: American Well Corporation (Amwell Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: American Well Corporation (Amwell Incorporated)
• Inventors: Schoenberg, Roy
• Application Number:
  US13/026,747
• Publication Number:
  US 20110137683A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/3
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/20 for the management or administration of healthcare resources or facilities, e.g. managing hospital staff or surgery rooms
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation

Abstract

A computer-implemented method includes receiving a request from a consumer of medical services to engage with a provider of medical services in real time over the Internet using a computer-based brokerage system, accessing stored information related to past engagements of the consumer using the computer-based brokerage system, and determining allocation of a fee between the consumer and a third party for an engagement between the consumer and the provider based at least in part on the information related to the past engagements of the consumer.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

receiving a request from a consumer of medical services to engage with a provider of medical services in real time over the Internet using a computer-based brokerage system;

accessing stored information related to past engagements of the consumer using the computer-based brokerage system; and

determining allocation of a fee between the consumer and a third party for an engagement between the consumer and the provider based at least in part on the information related to the past engagements of the consumer.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the information comprises a total number of engagements by the consumer during a period of time.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the information comprises a total financial expenditure of an insurance company during a period of time.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the allocation of the fee between the consumer and a third party comprises determining a percentage of a total cost to be paid by the consumer.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising accessing health related information about the consumer.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the allocation of the fee between the consumer and a third party comprises determining the allocation of the fee between the consumer and a third party based at least in part on the information related to the past engagements and the health related information.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the allocation of the fee between the consumer and a third party comprises allocating the entire fee to the consumer if an amount paid by the third party is greater than a threshold set by the third party.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the third party comprises an insurance carrier.

9. A computer program product residing on a computer readable medium for providing broker services to consumers and service providers, the computer program product comprising instructions for causing a computer to:

receive a request from a consumer of medical services to engage with a provider of medical services in real time over the Internet using a computer-based brokerage system;

access stored information related to past engagements of the consumer using the computer-based brokerage system; and

determine an allocation of a fee between the consumer and a third party for an engagement between the consumer and the provider based at least in part on the information related to the past engagements of the consumer.

10. An apparatus comprising:

a processor; and

a computer program product residing on a computer readable medium for providing broker services to consumers and service providers, the computer program product comprising instructions for causing the processor to;

access stored information related to past engagements of the consumer using the computer-based brokerage system; and

determine an allocation of a fee between the consumer and a third party for an engagement between the consumer and the provider based at least in part on the information related to the past engagements of the consumer.