Insurance administration system with means to allow an employer to directly communicate employee status data to centralized data storage means
First Claim
Patent Images
1. In a health care benefits administration system of the type having a computer system for storing and processing information in a database containing records of patients and medical benefits, the improvement comprising:
- said database having an eligibility file of a plurality of patients for which medical benefits are provided by a given benefits sponsor;
said eligibility file including a benefits status record for storing one of a plurality of states, including at least an active state and a pending state, for each patient;
a benefits sponsor terminal communicating on line with said computer system and directly accessible by said benefits sponsor for input of data indicating that benefits provided by said sponsor for a particular patient should be added or terminated;
said computer system being preprogrammed to automatically alter said status record for said given patient to said active state when said data input by said benefits sponsor indicates that benefits are to be added for said patient;
said computer system being preprogrammed to automatically alter said status record for said given patient to said pending state when said data input by said benefits sponsor indicates that benefits are to be terminated for said patient;
notification generating means controlled by said computer system for automatically providing notice to a patient of a change in said status record from an active state to a pending state.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The computerized insurance claim processing system links the physician'"'"'s office and the provider of insurance coverage by means of a central administration computer. The system provides up-to-date information to the provider of health care services as to insurance coverage of a patient. The system also allows real time modification of the information, including the identity of patients covered and the type of insurance benefits.
261 Citations
18 Claims
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1. In a health care benefits administration system of the type having a computer system for storing and processing information in a database containing records of patients and medical benefits, the improvement comprising:
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said database having an eligibility file of a plurality of patients for which medical benefits are provided by a given benefits sponsor; said eligibility file including a benefits status record for storing one of a plurality of states, including at least an active state and a pending state, for each patient; a benefits sponsor terminal communicating on line with said computer system and directly accessible by said benefits sponsor for input of data indicating that benefits provided by said sponsor for a particular patient should be added or terminated; said computer system being preprogrammed to automatically alter said status record for said given patient to said active state when said data input by said benefits sponsor indicates that benefits are to be added for said patient; said computer system being preprogrammed to automatically alter said status record for said given patient to said pending state when said data input by said benefits sponsor indicates that benefits are to be terminated for said patient; notification generating means controlled by said computer system for automatically providing notice to a patient of a change in said status record from an active state to a pending state. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. In a medical benefits administration system of the type having a computer system for storing and processing information in a database containing records of patients and medical benefits, and having a plurality of service provider terminals attached to said computer system for use by service providers in interacting with said computer system, the improvement comprising:
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said database having a patient file identifying each of said plurality of medical benefits plans under which each patient has coverage; said database having an eligibility file of a plurality of patients for which medical benefits are provided by a given benefits sponsor; said eligibility file including a benefits status record for storing one of a plurality of states, including at least an active state and a pending state, for each patient; a benefits sponsor terminal communicating on line with said computer system and directly accessible by said benefits sponsor for input of data indicating that benefits provided by said sponsor for a particular patient should be added or terminated; said computer system being preprogrammed to automatically alter said status record for said given patient to said active state when said data input by said benefits sponsor indicates that benefits are to be added for said patient; said computer system being preprogrammed to automatically alter said status record for said given patient to said pending state when said data input by said benefits sponsor indicates that benefits are to be terminated for said patient; notification generating means controlled by said computer system for automatically providing notice to a patient of a change in said status record from an active state to a pending state; said computer system being preprogrammed to receive from said service provider terminal identity data indicative of the identity of a given patient and service data indicative of the services for which payment is requested; said computer system being preprogrammed to access said patient file in response to said identity data and to ascertain the medical benefits plans under which said patient has coverage. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10)
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11. In a medical benefits administration system of the type having a computer system for storing and processing information in a database containing records of patients and medical benefits, and having a plurality of service provider terminals attached to said computer system for use by service providers in interacting with said computer system, the improvement comprising:
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said database having a plan parameters file having a record of coverage parameters including amounts paid for specified treatments under a plurality of medical benefits plans; said database having a patient file identifying each of said plurality of medical benefits plans under which each patient has coverage; said database having an eligibility file of a plurality of patients for which medical benefits are provided by a given benefits sponsor; said eligibility file including a benefits status record for storing one of a plurality of states, including at least an active state and a pending state, for each patient; a benefits sponsor terminal communicating on line with said computer system and directly accessible by said benefits sponsor for input of data indicating that benefits provided by said sponsor for a particular patient should be added or terminated; said computer system being preprogrammed to automatically alter said status record for said given patient to said active state when said data input by said benefits sponsor indicates that benefits are to be added for said patient; said computer system being preprogrammed to automatically alter said status record for said given patient to said pending state when said data input by said benefits sponsor indicates that benefits are to be terminated for said patient; notification generating means controlled by said computer system for automatically providing notice to a patient of a change in said status record from an active state to a pending state; said computer system being preprogrammed to receive from said service provider terminal identity data indicative of the identity of a given patient and service data indicative of the services for which payment is requested; said computer system being preprogrammed to access said patient file in response to said identity data and to ascertain the medical benefits plans under which said patient has coverage; said computer system being preprogrammed to access said plan parameters file for each of the medical benefits plans so ascertained to determine the amounts payable under such medical benefits plans for the services indicated by said service data. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14)
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15. In a medical benefits administration system of the type having a computer system for storing and processing information in a database containing records of patients and medical benefits, and having a plurality of service provider terminals attached to said computer system for use by service providers in interacting with said computer system, the improvement comprising:
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said database having a plan parameters file having a record of coverage parameters including amounts paid for specified treatments under a plurality of medical benefits plans; said database having an eligibility file of a plurality of patients for which medical benefits are provided by a given benefits sponsor; said eligibility file including a benefits status record for providing one of a plurality of states, including at least an active state and a pending state, for each patient; a benefits sponsor terminal communicating on line with said computer system and directly accessible by said benefits sponsor for input of data indicating that benefits provided by said sponsor for a particular patient should be added or terminated; said computer system being preprogrammed to automatically alter said status record for said given patient to said active state when said data input by said benefits sponsor indicates that benefits are to be added for said patient; said computer system being preprogrammed to automatically alter said status record for said given patient to said pending state when said data input by said benefits sponsor indicates that benefits are to be terminated for said patient; notification generating means controlled by said computer system for automatically providing notice to a patient of a change in said status record from an active state to a pending state; said computer system being preprogrammed to receive from said service provider terminal identity data indicative of the identity of a given patient and service data indicative of the services for which payment is requested; said computer system being preprogrammed to access said plan parameters file for each of the medical benefits plans so ascertained to determine the amounts payable under such medical benefits plans for the services indicated by said service data. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17)
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18. In a medical benefits administration system of the type having a computer system for storing and processing information in a database containing records of patients and medical benefits, and having a plurality of service provider terminals attached to said computer system for use by service providers in interacting with said computer system, the improvement comprising:
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said database having a plan parameters file having a record of coverage parameters including amounts paid for specified treatments under a plurality of medical benefits plans; said database having a patient file identifying each of said plurality of medical benefits plans under which each patient has coverage; said database having means for establishing a hierarchy among each of said plurality of medical benefits plans for a given patient, identifying at least a primary plan and a secondary plan; said database having an eligibility file of a plurality of patients for which medical benefits are provided by a given benefits sponsor; said eligibility file including a benefits status record for storing one of a plurality of states, including at least an active state and a pending state, for each patient; a benefits sponsor terminal communicating on line with said computer system and directly accessible by said benefits sponsor for input of data indicating that benefits provided by said sponsor for a particular patient should be added or terminated; said computer system being preprogrammed to automatically alter said status record for said given patient to said active state when said data input by said benefits sponsor indicates that benefits are to be added for said patient; said computer system being preprogrammed to automatically alter said status record for said given patient to said pending state when said data input by said benefits sponsor indicates that benefits are to be terminated for said patient; notification generating means controlled by said computer system for automatically providing notice to a patient of a change in said status record from an active state to a pending state; said computer system being preprogrammed to receive from said service provider terminal identity data indicative of the identity of a given patient and service data indicative of the services for which payment is requested; said computer system being preprogrammed to access said patient file in response to said identity data and to ascertain the medical benefits plans under which said patient has coverage; said computer system being preprogrammed to access said plan parameters file for each of the medical benefits plans so ascertained to determine the amounts payable under such medical benefits plans for the services indicated by said service data; said computer system being preprogrammed to access said hierarchy establishing means in so determining the amounts payable, whereby said secondary plan is applied to amounts not payable under said primary plan to thereby maximize the total amounts payable on behalf of said patient without cumulative ovepayment by said primary and secondary plans.
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Specification