Bundled billing accounting computer systems

• US 5,956,690 A
• Filed: 09/03/1997
• Issued: 09/21/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 09/03/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: VHS of Michigan, Inc. (Tenet Healthcare Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Detroit Medical Center (Tenet Healthcare Corporation)
• Inventors: Engman, Glenn Joseph, Haggerson, Michelle Marie, Estes, James Vincent
• Primary Examiner(s): Teska, Kevin J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): FREJD, RUSSELL WARREN
• Application Number:
  US08/922,962
• Time in Patent Office: 748 Days
• Field of Search: 235/375, 364/200, 364/406, 395/232, 705/29, 705/30, 705/2, 705/3, 705/4, 128/630
• US Class Current: 705/3
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing

Abstract

An apparatus and method for altering billing and accounts payable invoice deliveries. A bundled billing computer application sends messages indicating when billing and invoicing is to occur based upon a predetermined bill drop criteria. The computer application clusters billing information resulting from multiple patients activities that occur over a predetermined period of time. The bills and invoices related to the multiple patient events are generated once over that period of time according to the bill drop criteria.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for aperiodically processing patient accounting data in a periodic hospital accounting database, comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving patient profile data which establishes activity criteria for grouping activities by a patient;

(b) associating said patient profile data with a predetetermined bill drop criteria;

(c) receiving a plurality of accounting data that is indicative of activities by a patient;

(d) performing steps (e)-(f) for the accounting data that satisfies said activity criteria of said patient profile data;

(e) associating said satisfied accounting data with said patient profile data;

(f) generating bill stay flags associated with said satisfied accounting data on said periodic hospital accounting database;

(g) determining whether said bill drop criteria of said patient profile data is satisfied;

(h) performing steps (i)-(j) when said bill drop criteria of said patient profile data is satisfied;

(i) retrieving the patient accounting data that is associated with said patient profile data;

(j) generating financial data based upon said retrieved patient accounting data.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein said patient profile data includes a payor identifier code and a patient identifier.

3. The method according to claim 1 wherein said bill drop criteria includes coverage date periods.

4. The method according to claim 1 wherein said accounting data includes financial data, service description data, and service provider data.

5. The method according to claim 1 wherein said financial data includes data being selected from the group consisting of billing data, accounts payable data, and combinations thereof.

6. The method according to claim 1 wherein said patient profile data includes a payor identifier code, said method further comprising the step of:

electronically delivering said generated financial data to a payor identified by said payor identifier code.

7. The method according to claim 1 further comprising the step of:

generating bill drop flags on said periodic hospital accounting database for the accounting data associated with said satisfied bill drop criteria of said patient profile data.

8. The method according to claim 1 further comprising the step of:

remotely receiving a plurality of accounting data via a remote computer data connection.

9. The method according to claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

clustering said accounting data associated with said satisfied bill drop criteria of said patient profile data, said clustering being performed based upon said patient profile data; and

assigning a cluster identifier to said clustered accounting data.

10. A computer-implemented apparatus for aperiodically processing patient accounting data in a periodic hospital accounting database, comprising:

(a) means for receiving patient profile data which establishes activity criteria for grouping activities by a patient;

(b) means for associating said patient profile data with a predetermined bill drop criteria;

(c) means for receiving a plurality of accounting data that is indicative of activities by a patient;

(d) means for performing steps (e)-(f) for the accounting data that satisfies said activity criteria of said patient profile data;

(e) associating said satisfied accounting data with said patient profile data;

(f) generating bill stay flags associated with said satisfied accounting data on said periodic hospital accounting database;

(g) means for determining whether said bill drop criteria of said patient profile data is satisfied;

(h) means for performing steps (i)-(j) when said bill drop criteria of said patient profile data is satisfied;

(i) retrieving the patient accounting data that is associated with said patient profile data;

(j) generating financial data based upon said retrieved patient accounting data.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10 wherein said patient profile data includes a payor identifier code and a patient identifier.

12. The apparatus according to claim 10 wherein said bill drop criteria includes coverage date periods.

13. The apparatus according to claim 10 wherein said accounting data includes financial data, service description data, and service provider data.

14. The apparatus according to claim 10 wherein said financial data includes data being selected from the group consisting of billing data, accounts payable data, and combinations thereof.

15. The apparatus according to claim 10 wherein said patient profile data includes a payor identifier code, said apparatus further comprising:

means for electronically delivering said generated financial data to a payor identified by said payor identifier code.

16. The apparatus according to claim 10 further comprising;

means for generating bill drop flags on said periodic hospital accounting database for the accounting data associated with said satisfied bill drop criteria of said patient profile data.

17. The apparatus according to claim 10 further:

means for remotely receiving a plurality of accounting date via a remote computer data connection.

18. The apparatus according to claim 10 further comprising means

means for clustering said accounting data associated with said satisfied bill drop criteria of said patient profile data, said means for clustering being performed based upon said patient profile data;

and

means for assigning a cluster identifier to said clustered accounting data.