Health care financing method

• US 7,333,937 B2
• Filed: 09/13/2001
• Issued: 02/19/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Transunion Intelligence LLC (TransUnion Corporation)
• Original Assignee: ADS Responsecorp, Inc.
• Inventors: Baldwin, Byron S. Jr., Dolamore, Phillip, Mahaney, Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith; Jeffrey A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Najarian; Lena
• Application Number:
  US09/951,962
• Publication Number:
  US 20030050796A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,350 Days
• Field of Search: 705/2, 705/3, 705/35, 705/38, 705/4, 705/39
• US Class Current: 705/2
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/03 Credit; Loans; Processing thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance

Abstract

A computer implemented method for determining eligibility of a patient to receive financial assistance. The method utilizes health care financial assistance information associated with at least a first potential health care financial assistance plan and a second potential health care financial assistance plan, wherein the patient is not enrolled in either of the first or second potential health care financial assistance plans at the time of the determination of the eligibility, wherein the first potential health care financial assistance plan is provided by a first health care financial assistance plan provider, wherein the second potential health care financial assistance plan is provided by a second health care financial assistance plan provider, wherein the health care financial assistance information associated with the first potential health care financial assistance plan includes first provider qualification criteria and wherein the health care financial assistance information associated with the second potential health care financial assistance plan includes second provider qualification criteria. A system for financing health care is also disclosed.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for determining eligibility of a patient to receive health care financial assistance, comprising the steps of:

collecting health care financial assistance information, wherein the health care financial assistance information is associated with at least a first potential health care financial assistance plan and a second potential health care financial assistance plan, wherein the patient is not enrolled in either of the first or second potential health care financial assistance plans at the time of the determination of the eligibility, wherein the first potential health care financial assistance plan is provided by a first health care financial assistance plan provider, wherein the second potential health care financial assistance plan is provided by a second health care financial assistance plan provider, wherein first provider qualification criteria is established by the first health care financial assistance plan provider, wherein the health care financial assistance information associated with the first potential health care financial assistance plan includes the first provider qualification criteria, wherein second provider qualification criteria is established by the second health care financial assistance plan provider, and wherein the health care financial assistance information associated with the second potential health care financial assistance plan includes the second provider qualification criteria;

populating at least one database with at least a portion of the first provider qualification criteria and at least a portion of the second provider qualification criteria;

inputting patient data associated with the patient, wherein the patient data is used for applying for health care financial assistance;

inputting credit information derived from a credit report of the patient,

extracting at least a portion of the credit information and combining the extracted credit information with at least a portion of the patient data to form patient data with corresponding credit information;

identifying at least a portion of the first provider qualification criteria in the database and at least a portion of the second provider qualification criteria in the database;

comparing at least a portion of the patient data with corresponding credit information to at least the following;

i) the identified first provider qualification criteria; and

ii) the identified second provider qualification criteria;

determining if the comparison satisfies at least one of the identified first provider qualification criteria or the identified second provider qualification criteria;

creating a notification if the comparison determines that at least a portion of the patient data with corresponding credit information satisfies the identified first provider qualification criteria, such that the patient'"'"'s eligibility to receive financial assistance under the first potential health care financial assistance plan is made known by the notification; and

creating a notification if the comparison determines that at least a portion of the patient data with corresponding credit information satisfies the identified second provider qualification criteria, such that the patient'"'"'s eligibility to receive financial assistance under the second potential health care financial assistance plan is made known by the notification;

wherein the potential health care financial assistance, indicated in the notification, defrays at least a portion of an associated expense incurred by the patient.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said patient data comprises insurance data.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said patient data comprises income data.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said database is accessed over the Internet.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said health care financial assistance information is collected from at least one health care system by accessing said health care system.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said health care financial assistance information is collected from at least one health care system by receiving information transmitted by said health care system.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of said first and second health care financial assistance plan providers is Medicaid.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said health care financial assistance information includes at least one health care assistance amount.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising the step of obtaining financing for any portion of the health care costs for said patient in excess of said assistance amount.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second potential health care financial assistance plans is a grant.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second potential health care financial assistance plans is a tax fund program.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second potential health care financial assistance plans is a government program.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein a debt to income ratio is calculated based on the credit information and wherein the patient data with corresponding credit information comprises the debt to income ratio.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the extracted credit information is used in lieu of an asset test.