Computerized healthcare accounts receivable purchasing, collections, securitization and management system

• US 5,704,044 A
• Filed: 07/31/1996
• Issued: 12/30/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Prudential Securities Credit Corp. LLC (Prudential Financial Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Pharmacy Fund, Inc.
• Inventors: Tarter, Fred B., Peck, Jan, Greene, Jeffrey M., De Fazio, Thomas J., Hall, Del, Tarter, Scott A., Wylie, L. Stephen, Magnotte, Mark M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hayes, Gail O.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tkacs, Stephen R.
• Application Number:
  US08/690,561
• Time in Patent Office: 517 Days
• Field of Search: 395/202, 395/203, 395/204, 395/766, 395/767, 395/768, 395/769, 395/200.01, 395/200.02, 235/375, 235/376, 235/379, 235/380
• US Class Current: 705/4
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/4016 involving fraud or risk level assessment in transaction processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/403 Solvency checks
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance

Abstract

The present invention is a computerized method and system for financing health care service providers, especially pharmacies, by evaluating and purchasing their accounts receivables, scoring the creditworthiness of payors and obligors such as insurance companies, self-insured employers, health maintenance organizations, preferred provider organizations, government agencies, and other entities sponsoring groups and individuals receiving health care benefits, collecting on receivables, securitizing receivables, managing funds, and processing and reconciling claims and payments.

Claims

1. A computerized method for receiving and responding to an inquiry transmitted over an on-line pharmaceutical adjudication network and containing a request for information stored in database records, comprising:

(a) receiving an electronically transmitted insurance claim message from a service provider subscribing to the network;

(b) identifying the insurance claim message as an inquiry;

(c) reading from the inquiry and retrievably storing the following;

(i) a code indicating the date of the information requested; and

(ii) a code indicating the type of information requested;

(d) determining the date of the information requested, and the type of information requested by converting the codes according to predefined parameters;

(e) identifying one or more database records containing the type of information requested for the date of the information requested;

(f) accessing the database record or records to obtain the requested information, and retrievably storing the requested information so obtained;

(g) opening a response message in the form of a rejected claim response message which is standard for the on-line pharmaceutical adjudication network;

(h) transferring the requested information into one or more fields of the response message; and

(i) electronically transmitting the response message over the on-line pharmaceutical adjudication network to the service provider.

2. A method according to claim 1 wherein the types of information comprise deposit summary information, deposit/adjustment detail information, non-purchased detail information, and bulletin information.

3. A method according to claim 2 wherein the on-line pharmaceutical adjudication network utilizes a National Council for Prescription Drug Programs standard electronic message format and further comprising the steps shown in FIGS. 25 and 25A.