Medical insurance verification and processing system
First Claim
1. A method for rapidly determining an insurance claim payment for a specified patient service, comprising the steps of:
- storing in a system memory a file for each of the plurality of insurance carriers, each file having a set of service codes with a claim payment for each service code,storing in a system memory a code conversion table for each of said insurance carriers for converting patient treatment codes into service codes for the corresponding insurance carrier wherein said patient treatment codes correspond respectively to patient services,transmitting through a system input device codes for the name of a selected patient and a selected one of said treatment codes corresponding to said specified patient service,determining the selected patient'"'"'s insurance carrier,machine reading the code conversion table for the selected patient'"'"'s insurance carrier to translate the selected treatment code into the corresponding service code for the patient'"'"'s insurance carrier,machine reading the file for the patient'"'"'s insurance carrier to determine the claim payment for the service code which is produced by the translation of said patients treatment code, anddisplaying via a system output device said determined claim payment for said specified patient service for said selected patient, said input and output devices located at a common site.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A medical claim verification and processing system reads a medical information card (MEDICARD) to determine a patient'"'"'s background medical and insurance information. The validity of the card is rapidly determined by accessing a central brokerage computer. A local service provider enters into a local terminal the medical and MEDICARD information services provided or to be provided to the patient by using a patient service code and transmits this information to a central brokerage computer. The central brokerage computer converts the patient service code input by the service provider or MEDICARD into a particular service code for the patient'"'"'s insurance carrier. This service code is then utilized to determine the insurance claim payment for that particular patient service. The claim payment amount for the medical service is then transmitted back to the local entry terminal for use by the service provider and patient. The service provider and patient can then determine the amount of payment which will be made for the particular insurance claim. The provider can then prepare an electronic claim form and, together with the patient'"'"'s and/or the provider'"'"'s determination whether or not the assignment provision of the insurance claim will be invoked, the electronic claim form is then transmitted to a central brokerage computer which in turn transmits the claim form to the appropriate insurance carrier. The patient'"'"'s insurance carrier processes the claim form, and, based upon the assignment decision, transfers the payment check to the patient or makes an electronic funds transfer to an account for the service provider, the patient or a central brokerage computer.
791 Citations
21 Claims
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1. A method for rapidly determining an insurance claim payment for a specified patient service, comprising the steps of:
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storing in a system memory a file for each of the plurality of insurance carriers, each file having a set of service codes with a claim payment for each service code, storing in a system memory a code conversion table for each of said insurance carriers for converting patient treatment codes into service codes for the corresponding insurance carrier wherein said patient treatment codes correspond respectively to patient services, transmitting through a system input device codes for the name of a selected patient and a selected one of said treatment codes corresponding to said specified patient service, determining the selected patient'"'"'s insurance carrier, machine reading the code conversion table for the selected patient'"'"'s insurance carrier to translate the selected treatment code into the corresponding service code for the patient'"'"'s insurance carrier, machine reading the file for the patient'"'"'s insurance carrier to determine the claim payment for the service code which is produced by the translation of said patients treatment code, and displaying via a system output device said determined claim payment for said specified patient service for said selected patient, said input and output devices located at a common site. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A method for rapidly verifying insurance coverage and determining an insurance claim payment for a specified patient service at a local site, comprising the steps of:
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storing in a remote site system memory a plurality of patient files, each patient file including codes for at least the patient'"'"'s name, insurance carrier and type of insurance coverage, storing in said remote site memory a file for each of a plurality of insurance carriers, each file having a set of service codes with a claim payment schedule for each service code, storing in said remote site memory a code conversion table for each of said insurance carriers for converting patient treatment codes into service codes for the corresponding insurance carrier wherein said patient treatment codes correspond respectively to patient services, transmitting through a system input device at said local site the name for a selected patient and a selected one of said patient treatment codes corresponding to said specified patient service, communicating codes for at least said selected patient name and said selected treatment code from said local site to said remote site, machine reading at said remote site the patient file corresponding to the selected patient'"'"'s name to determine the selected patient'"'"'s insurance carrier and to determine the validity of the patient'"'"'s insurance coverage, machine reading the code conversion table for the selected patient'"'"'s insurance carrier to translate said selected treatment code into the corresponding service code for the selected patient'"'"'s insurance carrier, machine reading the file for the selected patient'"'"'s insurance carrier to determine the claim payment for the service code produced by the translation of said patient treatment code, communicating said determined claim payment from said remote site to said local site, and displaying via a system output device at said local site said determined claim payment for the specified patient service for said selected patient. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14, 15, 18)
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13. The method for rapidly determining an insurance claim payment for a specified patient service in carrying out payment therefor, comprising the steps of:
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storing in a system memory a file for each of a plurality of insurance carriers, each file having a set of service codes with a claim payment for each service code, storing in a system memory a code conversion table for each of said insurance carriers for converting patient treatment codes into service codes for the corresponding insurance carrier wherein said patient treatment codes correspond respectively to patient services, determining the insurance carrier for said selected patient, transmitting through a system input device codes for the name for a selected patient in a selected one of said treatment codes corresponding to said specified patient services, machine reading the code conversion table for the selected patient'"'"'s insurance carrier to translate the selected treatment code into the corresponding service code for the patient'"'"'s insurance carrier, machine reading the file for the patient'"'"'s insurance carrier to determine the claim payment for the service code produced by the translation of said selected treatment code, displaying via a system output device said determined claim payment for said specified patient service for said selected patient, said input and said output devices located at a common site, and transferring the amount of said determined claim payment from an account for said selected patient'"'"'s insurance carrier to an account for a provider of said specified patient service. - View Dependent Claims (16)
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17. A method for rapidly determining an insurance claim payment for a specified patient service in carrying out payment therefor, comprising the steps of:
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storing in a system memory a file for each of a plurality of insurance carriers, each file having a set of service codes with a claim payment for each service code, storing in a system memory a code conversion table for each of said insurance carriers for converting patient treatment codes into service codes for the corresponding insurance carrier wherein said patient treatment codes correspond respectively to patient services, determining the insurance carrier for said selected patient, transmitting through a system input device codes for the name for a selected patient and a selected one of said treatment codes corresponding to said specified patient services wherein the provider of said specified patient service has a fee for said specified patient service, machine reading the code conversion table for the selected patient'"'"'s insurance carrier to translate the selected treatment code into the corresponding service code for the patient'"'"'s insurance carrier, machine reading the file for a patient'"'"'s insurance carrier to determine the claim payment for the service code produced by the translation of said selected treatment code, displaying via a system output device said determined claim payment for said specified patient service for said selected patient, said input and output devices located at an office for said provider, communicating an electronic insurance claim form from an office of said provider to the selected patient'"'"'s insurance carrier, transferring said fee amount from a central brokerage account to an account for said provider of said specified patient service, transferring a difference amount by which said fee amount exceeds said determined claim payment from an account for said selected patient to said central brokerage account, and transferring said determined claim payment amount from an account for said selected patient'"'"'s insurance carrier to said central brokerage account.
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19. A method for determining the validity of insurance coverage and vital medical information for a patient, comprising the steps of:
- recording codes on a card for at least the following information items;
(a) patient'"'"'s name, (b) patient'"'"'s blood type, (c) patient'"'"'s insurance carrier, (d) date of patient'"'"'s effective insurance coverage, entering said card into a stand-alone reader machine having a display screen, reading said card to determine said information items, and displaying said information items on said reader machine display screen. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21)
- recording codes on a card for at least the following information items;
Specification