Systems and Methods for Customizing Product Selections Based on Member Parameters and Providing the Selections to Members for Purchase

• US 20110320224A1
• Filed: 06/28/2010
• Published: 12/29/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Bloom Health Corp. (Empyrean Benefit Solutions, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bloom Health Corp. (Empyrean Benefit Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Sen, Abir, Prevost, Jill Kristin
• Application Number:
  US12/824,751
• Publication Number:
  US 20110320224A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/4
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/103 Workflow collaboration or project management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/1057 Benefits or employee welfare, e.g. insurance, holiday or retirement packages
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0631 Item recommendations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to systems and methods for identifying at least one health plan option for an individual or employee, where the health plan option(s) identified have been selected based on the unique characteristics and profile of the individual or the unique characteristics and profile of the employee and format selections of the employer. The health plan option(s) identified may also be based on criteria provided by the individual or the employer, such as for instance, the amount of deductible and/or premium the individual is willing to pay, or for example, the health insurers the employer has selected to provide employee group coverage.

Claims

1. A method for identifying a product for purchase by an employee based on the employee'"'"'s circumstances and preferences, the method comprising:

providing a secure web-based system that allows an employer of the employee to register with the system;

allowing the employer to make format selections related to a category of product that the employer makes available to the employee via the web-based system, wherein one of the format selections comprises the amount of money the employer will commit to an employee account set up on the web-based system in order for the employee to purchase an identified product;

allowing the employee of the employer to register with the web-based system;

administering a survey via the web-based system to the employee;

using the results of the survey for the system to identify at least one product that meet criteria of the employee as established by the results of the survey and that meet criteria of the employer as established by the format selections made by the employer; and

permitting the employee to select an identified product for purchase that is paid for by the system via the employee account.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing the employee with a personality profile accessible via the system and that is generated using the results of the survey.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the category of product that the employer makes available to the employee via the web-based system is a health insurance product.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the employee account is set up as a health reimbursement account or limited health reimbursement account.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising coordinating underwriting based on format selections made by the employer.

6. The method of claim 3, further comprising brokering direct sales of the health insurance product to the employee.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein the survey includes questions related to the employee'"'"'s health, behavior, personality, and financial situation.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the category of product that the employer makes available to the employee via the web-based system is a wellness education product or service.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the category of product that the employer makes available to the employee via the web-based system is a vision product or service, life insurance product or service, short-term disability product or service, long-term disability product or service, business travel accident product or service, accidental death and dismemberment product or service, flexible spending account product or service, health savings account product or service, or long term care product or service.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising allowing the employee to purchase additional products or services via the system if the employee has funds left over in their account after payment is made by the system for the product the employee selected for purchase.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a member area on the web-based system that allows employers and employees to at least one of provide feedback on the system, and rate the service of the system or product.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving information about the employee from the employer for input into the system.

13. A method for providing for purchase by an individual at least one health care product that has been specifically selected for the individual, the method comprising:

administering a web-based survey to the individual, the survey providing questions related to at least one of the individual'"'"'s personality profile, financial profile, or health status, wherein the results of the survey are saved and stored in the web based system;

using the results of the survey as input for the web-based system to run a recommendation engine, wherein the recommendation engine selects at least one health care product for the individual based on at least one attribute of the health care product matching at least one result provided by the individual in response to the survey;

paying for a health care product selected for purchase by the individual from at least one of funds deposited in the account of the individual or the individual'"'"'s personal funds via the web-based system.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising providing the individual with an application form to be completed by the individual based on the health care product the individual selects for purchase.

15. A web-based system for providing at least one identified health insurance product or service for purchase by an employee of an employer where the at least one product or service fits criteria provided by the employee and the employer, the system comprising:

a client format selection module permitting an employer to provide the system with format selections, including how much money to deposit into an employee account in order for the employee to purchase a health insurance product via the system;

an intelligent assessment survey module that administers a survey to the employee to determine the employee'"'"'s preferences and circumstances related to health insurance; and

a recommendation engine module in communication with the intelligent assessment survey module configured to use results of the survey to provide the employee with at least one health insurance product or service for purchase where the at least one identified product or service is based on the results provided by the employee in the survey and format selections provided by the employer.

16. The system of claim 15, further comprising a virtual shelf module in communication with the recommendation engine module, the virtual shelf module configured to provide the employee with the at least one identified health insurance product or service via a web-based application.

17. The system of claim 15, further comprising a personality profile module in communication with the intelligent assessment survey module, the personality profile module configured to provide the employee with a unique health personality profile using the results of the survey via a web-based application.

18. The system of claim 15, further comprising a payment and administration module configured to allow the system to pay for the employee'"'"'s purchased health insurance product via at least one of the employee'"'"'s account or the employee'"'"'s personal funds.

19. The system of claim 15, further comprising a member services module.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the system is provided via a cloud computing environment.

21. The system of claim 15, wherein the intelligent assessment includes about 20 questions.

22. The system of claim 15, wherein the intelligent assessment includes about 30 questions.

23. The system of claim 15, wherein the intelligent assessment includes from about 40 questions to about 50 questions.