Payment programs for healthcare plans

• US 7,922,083 B2
• Filed: 07/31/2006
• Issued: 04/12/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Liberty Peak Ventures, LLC (Dominion Harbor Enterprises, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Oltine Acquisitions NY LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Malnati, Leigh R., Klaboe, Dana J., Jagatic, Jason S., Harrison, Sarah E.
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, THIEN MINH
• Application Number:
  US11/461,389
• Publication Number:
  US 20070194109A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,716 Days
• Field of Search: 235/375, 235/380, 235/381, 235/382, 235/383, 235/492, 235/486, 705/2, 705/14, 705/35
• US Class Current: 235/381
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/227 characterised in that multiple accounts are available, e.g. to the payer
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes

Abstract

The invention is a computer-implemented method and system to facilitate a purchase utilizing a tax-advantaged account. A request for payment for an item is received from a requester. A determination is made whether the item qualifies for pre-tax treatment. If the item qualifies for pre-tax treatment at least a partial payment amount for the item is determined. The tax-advantaged account is debited for at least a portion of the purchasing amount of the item based on the payment authorization; and the at least partial payment amount for the item is transmitted to an account of the requestor.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

linking, using a computing device, an existing transaction instrument, associated with a non tax-advantaged account, to a tax-advantaged account;

receiving, using the computing device, a request, initiated by a use of the transaction instrument, for payment of a purchase;

determining, using the computing device, whether the purchase qualifies for pre-tax treatment; and

in response to a determination that the purchase qualifies for pre-tax treatment;

determining, using the computing device, at least a partial payment amount to be paid from the tax-advantaged account,

initiating, using the computing device, a debit of the tax-advantaged account, and

transmitting, using the computing device, the at least the partial payment.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least the partial payment amount is transmitted concurrently with the debit of the tax-advantaged account.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least the partial payment amount is transmitted to a service provider.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least the partial payment amount is transmitted to a retail merchant.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least the partial payment amount is transmitted to a third party intermediary.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the tax-advantaged account is a Flexible Spending Account (FSA).

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the tax-advantaged account is a Health Savings Account (HSA).

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the transaction instrument is at least one of:

a debit card;

or

a credit card.

9. An article of manufacture including a tangible computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon, execution of which by a computing device causes the computing device to perform operations comprising:

linking an existing transaction instrument, associated with a non tax-advantaged account, to a tax-advantaged account;

receiving, a request, initiated by a use of the transaction instrument, for payment of a purchase;

determining whether the purchase qualifies for pre-tax treatment; and

in response to a determination that the purchase qualifies for pre-tax treatment;

determining at least a partial payment amount to be paid from the tax-advantaged account,

initiating a debit of the tax-advantaged account, and

transmitting the at least the partial payment amount.

10. The article of manufacture of claim 9, wherein the tax-advantaged account is a Flexible Spending Account (FSA).

11. The article of manufacture of claim 9, wherein the tax-advantaged account is a Health Savings Account (HSA).

12. The article of manufacture of claim 9, wherein the transaction instrument is at least one of:

a debit card;

or

a credit card.

13. A system comprising:

a processor; and

a memory storing instructions, execution of which by a computing device causes the computing device to perform operations comprising;

linking an existing transaction instrument, associated with a non tax-advantaged account, to a tax-advantaged account;

receiving, a request, initiated by a use of the transaction instrument, for payment of a purchase;

determining whether the purchase qualifies for pre-tax treatment; and

in response to a determination that the purchase qualifies for pre-tax treatment;

determining at least a partial payment amount to be paid from the tax-advantaged account,

initiating a debit of the tax-advantaged account, and

transmitting the at least the partial payment amount.

14. The system according to claim 13, wherein the tax-advantaged account is a Flexible Spending Account (FSA).

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the tax-advantaged account is a Health Savings Account (HSA).

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the transaction instrument is at least one of:

a debit card;

or

a credit card.

17. A system comprising:

means for linking an existing transaction instrument, associated with a non tax-advantaged account, to a tax-advantaged account;

means for receiving a request, initiated by a use of the transaction instrument, for payment of a purchase;

means for determining whether the purchase qualifies for pre-tax treatment;

means for determining, in response to a determination that the purchase qualifies for pre-tax treatment, at least a partial payment amount to be paid from the tax-advantaged account;

means for initiating, in response to the determination that the purchase qualifies for pre-tax treatment, a debit of the tax-advantaged account; and

means for transmitting, in response to the determination that the purchase qualifies for pre-tax treatment, the at least the partial payment amount.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the tax-advantaged account is a Flexible Spending Account (FSA).

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the tax-advantaged account is a Health Savings Account (HSA).

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the transaction instrument is at least one of:

a debit card;

or

a credit card.