Medicare pharmacy calculator II
First Claim
1. A computerized method for calculating and displaying anticipated out-of-pocket pharmacy costs to a computer user under at least one Medicare Part D pharmacy benefit plan, comprising:
- a) receiving at a server from said computer user prescription data for a plurality of drugs, said prescription data comprising a drug identifier, a number of doses, a number of days supply, and a number of fills during a plan period;
b) determining at said server for each of said plurality of drugs an indicator of whether said drug is a maintenance drug or non-maintenance drug;
c) defining at said server a schedule for purchasing said drugs by assigning a drug fill for each fill of said plurality of drugs to a month in which said drug fill will be purchased during said plan period wherein said assignments are made according to;
i. said number of doses for said drug;
ii. said number of days supply for said drug;
iii. said number of fills for said drug; and
iv. said indicator of whether said drug is a maintenance drug or a non-maintenance drug;
d) calculating at said server an anticipated out-of-pocket cost for each drug fill according to said assignments of each fill of said plurality of drugs to a month in which each drug fill will be purchased during said plan period wherein calculating an anticipated out-of-pocket cost comprises;
i. determining a cost for said drug fill under said at least one Medicare Part D pharmacy benefit plan;
ii. determining if at least one Medicare Part D stage is applicable to said drug fill;
iii. determining out-of-pocket costs for said drug fill according to each Medicare Part D stage applicable to said drug fill as determined in step ii and said cost for said drug fill under said at least one Medicare Part D pharmacy benefit plan;
iv. storing data for said anticipated out-of-pocket cost for each drug fill according to said assignments of each fill of said plurality of drugs to a month in which each drug fill will be purchased during said plan period;
v. repeating steps i-v for each drug fill; and
e) presenting to said computer user anticipated out-of-pocket costs for said plan period according to said schedule by;
i. presenting for each applicable month of said plan period an anticipated out-of-pocket cost for each drug fill assigned to said month wherein said anticipated out-of-pocket cost is determined according to said assignments of each drug fill for each of said plurality of drugs to a month in which said drug fill will be purchased during said plan period; and
ii. presenting in association with each applicable month an indicator of whether more than one Medicare Part D stage is applicable to said month.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method and apparatus for providing a Medicare Part D Pharmacy Benefits Calculator. A user inputs data for prescriptions to be purchased by a prospective insured for a plan period. The prescription data includes a quantity, a days supply, and a number of fills. The data for each prescription the user enters is used to calculate anticipated out-of-pocket costs for the prescriptions for one or more pharmacy benefits plans available to the prospective insured. The cost data is presented to the user in a way that illustrates how out-of-pocket costs will vary over the course of a plan period. The user may view costs for alternative drugs and alternatives sources of drugs. The user may vary and expand the presentation of the cost data to better understand the available plan benefits. The invention helps prospective insureds decide among alternative Medicare Part D pharmacy benefits plans offered by one or more insurance companies.
13 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A computerized method for calculating and displaying anticipated out-of-pocket pharmacy costs to a computer user under at least one Medicare Part D pharmacy benefit plan, comprising:
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a) receiving at a server from said computer user prescription data for a plurality of drugs, said prescription data comprising a drug identifier, a number of doses, a number of days supply, and a number of fills during a plan period; b) determining at said server for each of said plurality of drugs an indicator of whether said drug is a maintenance drug or non-maintenance drug; c) defining at said server a schedule for purchasing said drugs by assigning a drug fill for each fill of said plurality of drugs to a month in which said drug fill will be purchased during said plan period wherein said assignments are made according to; i. said number of doses for said drug; ii. said number of days supply for said drug; iii. said number of fills for said drug; and iv. said indicator of whether said drug is a maintenance drug or a non-maintenance drug; d) calculating at said server an anticipated out-of-pocket cost for each drug fill according to said assignments of each fill of said plurality of drugs to a month in which each drug fill will be purchased during said plan period wherein calculating an anticipated out-of-pocket cost comprises; i. determining a cost for said drug fill under said at least one Medicare Part D pharmacy benefit plan; ii. determining if at least one Medicare Part D stage is applicable to said drug fill; iii. determining out-of-pocket costs for said drug fill according to each Medicare Part D stage applicable to said drug fill as determined in step ii and said cost for said drug fill under said at least one Medicare Part D pharmacy benefit plan; iv. storing data for said anticipated out-of-pocket cost for each drug fill according to said assignments of each fill of said plurality of drugs to a month in which each drug fill will be purchased during said plan period; v. repeating steps i-v for each drug fill; and e) presenting to said computer user anticipated out-of-pocket costs for said plan period according to said schedule by; i. presenting for each applicable month of said plan period an anticipated out-of-pocket cost for each drug fill assigned to said month wherein said anticipated out-of-pocket cost is determined according to said assignments of each drug fill for each of said plurality of drugs to a month in which said drug fill will be purchased during said plan period; and ii. presenting in association with each applicable month an indicator of whether more than one Medicare Part D stage is applicable to said month. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A computerized method for calculating and displaying anticipated out-of-pocket pharmacy costs to a computer user under at least one Medicare Part D pharmacy benefit plan, comprising:
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a) receiving at a server from said computer user prescription data for a plurality of drugs, said prescription data comprising a drug identifier, a number of doses, a number of days supply, and a number of fills during a plan period; b) determining at said server for each of said plurality of drugs an indicator of whether said drug is a maintenance drug or non-maintenance drug; c) defining at said server a schedule for purchasing said plurality of drugs by assigning a drug fill for each fill of said plurality of drugs to a month in which said drug fill will be purchased during said plan period wherein said assignments are made according to; i. said number of doses for said drug; ii. said number of days supply for said drug; iii. said number of fills for said drug; and iv. said indicator of whether said drug is a maintenance drug or a non-maintenance drug; d) calculating and storing at said server an anticipated out-of-pocket cost for each drug fill according to said assignments of each fill of said plurality of drugs to a month in which each drug fill will be purchased during said plan period by determining out-of-pocket costs for each said drug fill according to applicable Medicare Part D stages and a cost for said drug fill under said at least one Medicare Part D pharmacy benefit plan; e) calculating and storing at said server for each month of said plan period a total anticipated out-of-pocket cost by summing for each month of said plan period an anticipated out-of-pocket cost for each drug fill according to said assignments of each fill of said plurality of drugs to a month in which each drug fill will be purchased during said plan period; f) presenting to said computer user a list of month-by-month out-of-pocket costs wherein said list comprises a month, an anticipated out-of-pocket cost for said month, and a Medicare Part D stage applicable to said month for applicable months of said plan period; and g) presenting to said computer user in response to a request for details for a specified month; i. a list of drug fills for said specified month, an anticipated out-of-pocket cost for each drug fill in said specified month; ii. an indicator of whether more than one Medicare Part D stage is applicable to said drug fills for said specified month; and iii. a running total of out-of-pocket costs based on said out-of-pocket costs for each drug fill in said list. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A computerized method for calculating and displaying anticipated out-of-pocket pharmacy costs to a computer user under at least one Medicare Part D pharmacy benefit plan, comprising:
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a) receiving at a server from said computer user prescription data for a plurality of drugs, said prescription data comprising a drug identifier, a number of doses, a number of days supply, and a number of fills during a plan period; b) determining at said server for each of said plurality of drugs an indicator of whether said drug is a maintenance drug or a non-maintenance drug; c) defining at said server a schedule for purchasing said plurality of drugs by assigning a drug fill for each fill of said plurality of drugs to a month in which said drug fill will be purchased during said plan period wherein said assignments are made according to; i. said number of doses for said drug; ii said number of days supply for said drug; iii said number of fills for said drug; and iv. said indicator of whether said drug is a maintenance drug or a non-maintenance drug; d) calculating at said server an anticipated out-of-pocket cost for each drug fill according to said assignments of each fill of said plurality of drugs to a month in which each drug fill will be purchased during said plan period wherein calculating an anticipated out-of-pocket cost comprises; i. determining a cost for said drug fill under said at least one Medicare Part D pharmacy benefit plan; ii. determining if at least one Medicare Part D stage is applicable to said drug fill; iii. determining out-of-pocket costs for said drug fill according to each Medicare Part D stage applicable to said drug fill as determined in step ii and said cost for said drug fill under said at least one Medicare Part D pharmacy benefit plan; (vi) storing data for said anticipated out-of-pocket cost for each drug fill according to said assignments of each fill of said plurality of drugs to a month in which each drug fill will be purchased during said plan period; (v) repeating steps i-v for each drug fill of said plurality of drugs; and e) presenting to said computer user according to said schedule month-by-month anticipated out-of-pocket costs organized in a table comprising; i. a listing of months for said plan period; ii. a list of drug fills for each month; iii. an anticipated out-of-pocket cost for each drug fill; and iv. an indicator of whether more than one Medicare Part D stage is applicable to said drug fills for said month. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification