Healthcare Prepaid Payment Platform Apparatuses, Methods And Systems

• US 20140379361A1
• Filed: 01/13/2012
• Published: 12/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Visa International Service Association (Visa, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Visa International Service Association (Visa, Inc.)
• Inventors: Mahadkar, Shilpak, Seadath, Aleema, Rangarajan, Madhu, Nayak, Uttam
• Application Number:
  US13/979,516
• Publication Number:
  US 20140379361A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/2
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• 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 40/08 Insurance

Abstract

The healthcare prepaid payment platform apparatuses, methods and systems (hereinafter “HPP-Platform”) transforms patient insurance information, and healthcare procedure schedule information inputs via HPP-Platform components into medical claim settlement outputs. In one embodiment, a healthcare insurance pre-authorization request including healthcare procedure schedule information and user insurance information; receiving an indication of insurance approval of an insured amount from an insurance provider; loading an insurance approved amount into a prepaid account of the user prior to the healthcare procedure; receiving a payment request using the loaded prepaid account towards a medical bill after the healthcare procedure is performed; transferring the loaded insurance approved amount in the prepaid account to a healthcare provider in response to the payment request; and generating a transaction record including the pre-approved amount and the transferred amount.

Claims

1. A healthcare pre-authorizing payment processor-implemented method, comprising:

obtaining a healthcare insurance pre-authorization request including healthcare procedure schedule information and user insurance information;

receiving an indication of insurance approval of an insured amount from an insurance provider;

loading an insurance approved amount into a prepaid account of the user prior to the healthcare procedure;

receiving a payment request using the loaded prepaid account towards a medical bill after the healthcare procedure is performed;

transferring the loaded insurance approved amount in the prepaid account to a healthcare provider in response to the payment request; and

generating a transaction record including the pre-approved amount and the transferred amount.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the healthcare insurance pre-authorization request is sent to an insurance provider.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the healthcare insurance pre-authorization request is generated by a user via any of phone calls, text messages, emails and instant messages.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the healthcare insurance pre-authorization request is received at a processing server and forwarded to the insurance provider by the processing server.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the healthcare procedure schedule information comprises any of a healthcare provider ID, healthcare provider name, healthcare procedure date, healthcare procedure code, healthcare procedure description and procedure pricing estimate.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the user insurance information comprises any of an insurance provider name, insurance group ID, and insurance policy ID.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the insurance approval of an insured amount is made upon insurance provider verifying a healthcare cost estimate and user'"'"'s insurance policy.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the loading an insurance approved amount into a prepaid account comprises provisionally transferring the insurance approved amount from the insurance provider to the prepaid account.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the payment request is received from a POS terminal of the healthcare provider.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the payment request is denied by the healthcare provider if the healthcare provider is not a participating provider.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the medical bill comprises a healthcare provider estimated insured amount.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

determining whether there is sufficient prepaid funds in the prepaid account against the healthcare provider estimated insured amount.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

deducting the available amount from the prepaid account when there is not sufficient prepaid funds.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the transferring the loaded insurance approved amount in the prepaid account is completed upon insurance provider verification.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the transferring the loaded insurance approved amount in the prepaid account is completed without insurance provider intervention after the pre-approval before the healthcare procedure is done.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

retrieving the transaction record; and

comparing the pre-approved amount against the transferred amount.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

reconciling the pre-approved amount with the transferred amount.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

retrieve a pre-authorization record related to the healthcare procedure information;

verifying the healthcare procedure information is consistent with the transaction record.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

sending the transaction record for further inspection when the healthcare procedure information is inconsistent with the transaction record.

20. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

receiving an insurance adjustment request based on the comparison.

21. A healthcare pre-authorizing payment processor-implemented method, comprising:

a memory;

a processor disposed in communication with said memory, and configured to issue a plurality of processing instructions stored in the memory, wherein the processor issues instructions to;

obtain a healthcare insurance pre-authorization request including healthcare procedure schedule information and user insurance information;

receive an indication of insurance approval of an insured amount from an insurance provider;

load an insurance approved amount into a prepaid account of the user prior to the healthcare procedure;

receive a payment request using the loaded prepaid account towards a medical bill after the healthcare procedure is performed;

transfer the loaded insurance approved amount in the prepaid account to a healthcare provider in response to the payment request; and

generate a transaction record including the pre-approved amount and the transferred amount.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the healthcare insurance pre-authorization request is sent to an insurance provider.

23. The system of claim 21, wherein the healthcare insurance pre-authorization request is generated by a user via any of phone calls, text messages, emails and instant messages.

24. The system of claim 21, wherein the healthcare insurance pre-authorization request is received at a processing server and forwarded to the insurance provider by the processing server.

25. The system of claim 21, wherein the healthcare procedure schedule information comprises any of a healthcare provider ID, healthcare provider name, healthcare procedure date, healthcare procedure code, healthcare procedure description and procedure pricing estimate.

26. The system of claim 21, wherein the user insurance information comprises any of an insurance provider name, insurance group ID, and insurance policy ID.

27. The system of claim 21, wherein the insurance approval of an insured amount is made upon insurance provider verifying a healthcare cost estimate and user'"'"'s insurance policy.

28. The system of claim 21, wherein the loading an insurance approved amount into a prepaid account comprises provisionally transferring the insurance approved amount from the insurance provider to the prepaid account.

29. The system of claim 21, wherein the payment request is received from a POS terminal of the healthcare provider.

30. The system of claim 21, wherein the payment request is denied by the healthcare provider if the healthcare provider is not a participating provider.

31. The system of claim 21, wherein the medical bill comprises a healthcare provider estimated insured amount.

32. The system of claim 31, wherein the processor further issues instructions to:

determine whether there is sufficient prepaid funds in the prepaid account against the healthcare provider estimated insured amount.

33. The system of claim 32, wherein the processor further issues instructions to:

deduct the available amount from the prepaid account when there is not sufficient prepaid funds.

34. The system of claim 21, wherein the transferring the loaded insurance approved amount in the prepaid account is completed upon insurance provider verification.

35. The system of claim 21, wherein the transferring the loaded insurance approved amount in the prepaid account is completed without insurance provider intervention after the pre-approval before the healthcare procedure is done.

36. The system of claim 21, wherein the processor further issues instructions to:

retrieve the transaction record; and

compare the pre-approved amount against the transferred amount.

37. The system of claim 36, wherein the processor further issues instructions to:

reconcile the pre-approved amount with the transferred amount.

38. The system of claim 21, wherein the processor further issues instructions to:

retrieve a pre-authorization record related to the healthcare procedure information;

verify the healthcare procedure information is consistent with the transaction record.

39. The system of claim 38, wherein the processor further issues instructions to:

send the transaction record for further inspection when the healthcare procedure information is inconsistent with the transaction record.

40. The system of claim 36, wherein the processor further issues instructions to:

receive an insurance adjustment request based on the comparison.

41. A healthcare pre-authorizing payment processor-readable storage medium storing processor-executable instructions to:

obtain a healthcare insurance pre-authorization request including healthcare procedure schedule information and user insurance information;

receive an indication of insurance approval of an insured amount from an insurance provider;

load an insurance approved amount into a prepaid account of the user prior to the healthcare procedure;

receive a payment request using the loaded prepaid account towards a medical bill after the healthcare procedure is performed;

transfer the loaded insurance approved amount in the prepaid account to a healthcare provider in response to the payment request; and

generate a transaction record including the pre-approved amount and the transferred amount.

42. The medium of claim 41, wherein the healthcare insurance pre-authorization request is sent to an insurance provider.

43. The medium of claim 41, wherein the healthcare insurance pre-authorization request is generated by a user via any of phone calls, text messages, emails and instant messages.

44. The medium of claim 41, wherein the healthcare insurance pre-authorization request is received at a processing server and forwarded to the insurance provider by the processing server.

45. The medium of claim 41, wherein the healthcare procedure schedule information comprises any of a healthcare provider ID, healthcare provider name, healthcare procedure date, healthcare procedure code, healthcare procedure description and procedure pricing estimate.

46. The medium of claim 41, wherein the user insurance information comprises any of an insurance provider name, insurance group ID, and insurance policy ID.

47. The medium of claim 41, wherein the insurance approval of an insured amount is made upon insurance provider verifying a healthcare cost estimate and user'"'"'s insurance policy.

48. The medium of claim 41, wherein the loading an insurance approved amount into a prepaid account comprises provisionally transferring the insurance approved amount from the insurance provider to the prepaid account.

49. The medium of claim 41, wherein the payment request is received from a POS terminal of the healthcare provider.

50. The medium of claim 41, wherein the payment request is denied by the healthcare provider if the healthcare provider is not a participating provider.

51. The medium of claim 41, wherein the medical bill comprises a healthcare provider estimated insured amount.

52. The medium of claim 51, wherein the medium further storing processor-executable instructions to:

determine whether there is sufficient prepaid funds in the prepaid account against the healthcare provider estimated insured amount.

53. The medium of claim 52, wherein the medium further storing processor-executable instructions to:

deduct the available amount from the prepaid account when there is not sufficient prepaid funds.

54. The medium of claim 41, wherein the transferring the loaded insurance approved amount in the prepaid account is completed upon insurance provider verification.

55. The medium of claim 41, wherein the transferring the loaded insurance approved amount in the prepaid account is completed without insurance provider intervention after the pre-approval before the healthcare procedure is done.

56. The medium of claim 41, wherein the medium further storing processor-executable instructions to:

retrieve the transaction record; and

compare the pre-approved amount against the transferred amount.

57. The medium of claim 56, wherein the medium further storing processor-executable instructions to:

reconcile the pre-approved amount with the transferred amount.

58. The medium of claim 41, wherein the medium further storing processor-executable instructions to:

retrieve a pre-authorization record related to the healthcare procedure information;

verify the healthcare procedure information is consistent with the transaction record.

59. The medium of claim 58, wherein the medium further storing processor-executable instructions to:

send the transaction record for further inspection when the healthcare procedure information is inconsistent with the transaction record.

60. The medium of claim 56, wherein the medium further storing processor-executable instructions to:

receive an insurance adjustment request based on the comparison.

61. A low-latency healthcare payment processor-implemented method, comprising:

obtaining an account identifier range from an issuer in a low-latency network traffic reducing single message;

obtaining a healthcare insurance pre-authorization request including healthcare procedure schedule information and user insurance information;

assigning an account identifier from the obtained account identifier range to a source of the pre-authorization request;

loading an insurance approved amount into a prepaid account associated with the assigned account identifier prior to the healthcare procedure;

receiving a payment request using the loaded prepaid account towards a medical bill after the healthcare procedure is performed;

processing a healthcare payment transaction based on the received payment request to reduce insurance claim delays; and

generating a transaction record showing a healthcare payment of the insurance approved amount to the healthcare provider completed with decreased network and transaction latency.

62. The method of claim 61, wherein the healthcare payment of the insurance approved amount to the healthcare provider is completed within same day of the healthcare procedure.

63. The method of claim 61, wherein the account identifier range includes a plurality of card numbers associated with a plurality of physical magnetic cards.

64. The method of claim 61, wherein the account identifier range includes a plurality of virtual card numbers associated with electronic wallet entries.