Systems and methods for automated payment processing

• US 8,374,957 B1
• Filed: 10/14/2011
• Issued: 02/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: United Services Automobile Association
• Original Assignee: United Services Automobile Association
• Inventors: Garcia, Ana Maria, Vareed, Zinda R., Diener, Pamela Glimm
• Primary Examiner(s): Dixon, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): Fields, Benjamin S
• Application Number:
  US13/274,190
• Time in Patent Office: 487 Days
• Field of Search: 705/39, 705/40
• US Class Current: 705/39
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/4037 Remote solvency checks
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/405 Establishing or using transaction specific rules
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03

Abstract

Apparatus and methods to process loss payments are described herein. In one example, an apparatus includes one or more data stores, a rules engine, an audit engine and a payment engine. In another example, the method may include receiving a notice of loss, deriving a payee, processing one or more rules using the information, determining whether an automatic payment can be made and transferring funds if the automatic payment can be made. In a further example, the method may include receiving a notice of loss, the loss having one or more exposures, processing one or more rules for each of the exposures in parallel, determining if an automatic payment can be made for each of the exposures and removing the automatic payment for an exposure if it can not be made while continuing processing payments for the remaining exposures.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method of processing loss payments, the method comprising:

receiving a notice of loss at a computer system, the notice of loss including information contained in one or more fielded data points, the loss due to an automobile accident and including multiple exposures, each exposure representing a discrete portion of the loss that can be processed separately, where each exposure may independently expose an insurance company to liability;

deriving, by the computer system, a payee from the information received;

processing, by the computer system, one or more rules using the information to derive a context of the loss and to derive a payment amount for an exposure of the multiple exposures of the loss based on the context;

determining, by the computer system, whether an automatic payment can be made to the payee after verifying the accuracy of the payment amount for the exposure, where the automatic payment is processed in parallel with other exposures of the multiple exposures;

transferring funds with the computer system to the payee if the automatic payment can be made; and

notifying a customer service representative if the automatic payment cannot be made.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the information includes at least one of the following:

payee;

payee address;

payment method;

nature of payment (coverage, deductible to be applied, claimant vehicle year and make, patient account number, doctor identification, treatment dates);

coverage information;

loss information;

payment amount; and

settlement indicator.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the information is augmented by information obtained after the notice of loss and includes at least one of the following:

repair estimates, medical treatment estimates, actual cost of repair, and actual medical treatment costs.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein deriving the payee includes:

determining coverage for the loss;

determining liability; and

deriving the payee, wherein the payee includes at least one entity.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein jurisdiction specific rules are used to determine the effect of liability on the loss.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

releasing reserved funds after funds have been transferred to the payee.

7. A machine-readable medium that processes loss payments on a computer system that performs the following operations:

receiving a notice of loss at a computer system, the notice of loss including information contained in one or more fielded data points, the loss due to an automobile accident and including multiple exposures, each exposure representing a discrete portion of the loss that can be processed separately, where each exposure may independently expose an insurance company to liability;

deriving, by the computer system, a payee from the information received;

processing, by the computer system, one or more rules using the information to derive a context of the loss and to derive a payment amount for an exposure of the multiple exposures of the loss based on the context;

determining, by the computer system, whether an automatic payment can be made to the payee after verifying the accuracy of the payment amount for the exposure, where the automatic payment is processed in parallel with other exposures of the multiple exposures;

transferring funds with the computer system to the payee if the automatic payment can be made; and

notifying a customer service representative if the automatic payment cannot be made.

8. The machine-readable medium of claim 7, wherein the information includes at least one of the following:

payee;

payee address;

payment method;

nature of payment (coverage, deductible to be applied, claimant vehicle year and make, patient account number, doctor identification, treatment dates);

coverage information;

loss information;

payment amount; and

settlement indicator.

9. The machine-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the information is augmented by information obtained after the notice of loss and includes at least one of the following:

repair estimates, medical treatment estimates, actual cost of repair, and actual medical treatment costs.

10. The machine-readable medium of claim 7, wherein deriving the payee includes:

determining coverage for the loss;

determining liability; and

deriving the payee, wherein the payee includes at least one entity.

11. The machine-readable medium of claim 10, wherein jurisdiction specific rules are used to determine the effect of liability on the loss.

12. The machine-readable medium of claim 7, further comprising:

releasing reserved funds after funds have been transferred to the payee.

13. A computer implemented system for processing loss payments, the system comprising at least one subsystem that performs the following operations:

receiving a notice of loss at a computer system, the notice of loss including information contained in one or more fielded data points, the loss due to an automobile accident and including multiple exposures, each exposure representing a discrete portion of the loss that can be processed separately, where each exposure may independently expose an insurance company to liability;

deriving, by the computer system, a payee from the information received;

processing, by the computer system, one or more rules using the information to derive a context of the loss and to derive a payment amount for an exposure of the multiple exposures of the loss based on the context;

determining, by the computer system, whether an automatic payment can be made to the payee after verifying the accuracy of the payment amount for the exposure, where the automatic payment is processed in parallel with other exposures of the multiple exposures;

transferring funds with the computer system to the payee if the automatic payment can be made; and

notifying a customer service representative if the automatic payment cannot be made.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the information includes at least one of the following:

payee;

payee address;

payment method;

(print, EFT, ACH, etc.);

nature of payment (coverage, deductible to be applied, claimant vehicle year and make, patient account number, doctor identification, treatment dates);

coverage information;

loss information;

payment amount; and

settlement indicator.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the information is augmented by information obtained after the notice of loss and includes at least one of the following:

repair estimates, medical treatment estimates, actual cost of repair, and actual medical treatment costs.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein deriving the payee includes:

determining coverage for the loss;

determining liability; and

deriving the payee, wherein the payee includes at least one entity.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein jurisdiction specific rules are used to determine the effect of liability on the loss.

18. The system of claim 13, further comprising:

releasing reserved funds after funds have been transferred to the payee.