Medical claims fraud prevention system including photograph records identification and associated methods
First Claim
1. A patient identity verification system comprising:
- a first controller associated with a medical facility;
a memory associated with the first controller;
a second controller associated with an information collection center and adapted to be in communication with the first controller;
a network interface; and
a photograph database;
wherein the photograph database includes photographs that are verifiable as being associated with a patient, the photographs being defined as official photographs, andwherein the photograph database is accessible using the network interface over a network;
wherein the first controller is configured to transmit a signal that includes a request for an official photograph associated with a patient to the second controller responsive to an occurrence of an event;
wherein the official photograph associated with the patient is identified within the photograph database;
wherein the second controller is configured to retrieve the official photograph from the photograph database and transmits the official photograph associated with the patient to the first controller responsive to the signal so that the official photograph is viewable on a user interface;
wherein a copy of the official photograph is stored on the memory to define a stored official photograph;
wherein the first controller is configured to facilitate verification that the stored official photograph remains an accurate depiction of the patient associated therewith after a period of time during which the physical appearance of the patient associated with the stored official photograph has changed by enabling the comparison of the stored official photograph to the current official photograph on the photograph database; and
wherein a patient identity is verified by the performance of a comparison of the official photograph of the patient with the physical appearance of an individual purporting to be the patient.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A medical claim fraud prevention system includes a first controller positioned at a medical facility and a second controller positioned at a patient information collection center and adapted to be in communication with the first controller. The first controller may transmit a first signal to the second controller responsive to an occurrence of an event. The second controller may initiate contact with a photograph database via a network interface in response to the first signal received from the first controller, and an official photograph associated with the patient name may be identified. The second controller may transmit the official photograph to the first controller so that the official photograph is viewable on a user interface at the medical facility. A patient identity may be verified by performing a comparison of a patient with the official photograph of the patient.
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Citations
45 Claims
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1. A patient identity verification system comprising:
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a first controller associated with a medical facility; a memory associated with the first controller; a second controller associated with an information collection center and adapted to be in communication with the first controller; a network interface; and a photograph database; wherein the photograph database includes photographs that are verifiable as being associated with a patient, the photographs being defined as official photographs, and wherein the photograph database is accessible using the network interface over a network; wherein the first controller is configured to transmit a signal that includes a request for an official photograph associated with a patient to the second controller responsive to an occurrence of an event; wherein the official photograph associated with the patient is identified within the photograph database; wherein the second controller is configured to retrieve the official photograph from the photograph database and transmits the official photograph associated with the patient to the first controller responsive to the signal so that the official photograph is viewable on a user interface; wherein a copy of the official photograph is stored on the memory to define a stored official photograph; wherein the first controller is configured to facilitate verification that the stored official photograph remains an accurate depiction of the patient associated therewith after a period of time during which the physical appearance of the patient associated with the stored official photograph has changed by enabling the comparison of the stored official photograph to the current official photograph on the photograph database; and wherein a patient identity is verified by the performance of a comparison of the official photograph of the patient with the physical appearance of an individual purporting to be the patient. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A patient identity verification system based upon mutable biometric features comprising:
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a first controller associated with a medical facility; a memory associated with the first controller; a second controller associated with a patient information collection center and adapted to be in communication with the first controller; a network interface; and a biometric scan database; wherein the biometric scan database includes biometric scans that are verifiable as being associated with a patient, the biometric scans being defined as official biometric scans; wherein the biometric scan database is accessible via the network interface; wherein the first controller is configured to sends a signal to the second controller responsive to an occurrence of an event; wherein the second controller is configured to initiates contact with the biometric scan database via the network interface in response to the signal received from the first controller; wherein the first controller is configured to transmit a request for an official biometric scan associated with a patient to the second controller; wherein an official biometric scan associated with the patient is identified within the biometric scan database; wherein the second controller transmits the official biometric scan associated with the patient to the first controller in response to the signal received from the first controller so that the official biometric scan is viewable on a user interface at the medical facility; wherein a copy of the official biometric scan is stored on the memory to define a stored biometric scan; wherein the first controller is configured to facilitate verification that the stored official biometric scan remains an accurate depiction of the biometric feature of the patient associated therewith after a period of time during which the biometric feature of the patient associated with the stored biometric scan has changed by enabling the comparison of the stored biometric scan to the current official biometric scan of the same type of biometric feature as the biometric feature of the stored official biometric scan on the biometric scan database; and wherein a patient identity is verified by performing a comparison of a biometric feature of the patient with the official biometric scan associated with the patient. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. A method of using a patient identity verification system that includes a first controller associated with a medical facility, a memory associated with the first controller;
- a second controller associated with a patient information collection center and adapted to be in communication with the first controller, a network interface and a photograph database that is accessible via the network interface and includes photographs that are verifiable, the photographs being defined as official photographs, the method comprising;
sending a first signal from the first controller to the second controller responsive to an occurrence of an event; initiating contact with the photograph database via the network interface in response to the first signal; transmitting a request for an official photograph associated with a patient name; identifying the official photograph associated with the patient name within the photograph database; transmitting the official photograph associated with the patient name to the first controller so that the official photograph is viewable on a user interface at the medical facility; storing a copy of the official photograph on the memory being defined as a stored official photograph; verifying that the stored official photograph remains an accurate depiction of the patient associated therewith after a period of time during which the physical appearance of the patient associated with the stored official photograph has changed; verifying a patient identity by performing a comparison of a patient with the official photograph associated with the patient; and activating a backup verification system to perform an action based on a backup event; wherein the backup event that activates the backup verification system is an indication from the first controller that the patient identity is not verified based on the comparison of the patient to the official photograph of the patient. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
- a second controller associated with a patient information collection center and adapted to be in communication with the first controller, a network interface and a photograph database that is accessible via the network interface and includes photographs that are verifiable, the photographs being defined as official photographs, the method comprising;
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37. A method of using a patient identity verification system that includes a first controller associated with a medical facility, a memory associated with the first controller, a second controller associated with a patient information collection center and adapted to be in communication with the first controller, a network interface and a photograph database that is accessible via the network interface and includes photographs that are verifiable, the photographs being defined as official photographs, the method comprising:
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sending a first signal from the first controller to the second controller responsive to an occurrence of an event; initiating contact with the photograph database via the network interface in response to the first signal; transmitting a request for an official photograph associated with a patient name; identifying the official photograph associated with the patient name within the photograph database; transmitting the official photograph associated with the patient name to the first controller so that the official photograph is viewable on a user interface at the medical facility; verifying a patient identity by performing a comparison of a patient with the official photograph associated with the patient; storing a copy of the official photograph on a memory associated with the first controller to define a stored official photograph; and determining if, after a period of time, the official photograph retrieved from the official photograph database has been replaced with an updated official photograph; and upon a determination that the official photograph database has an updated official photograph, updating the stored official photograph with the updated official photograph to define an updated stored official photograph. - View Dependent Claims (38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45)
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Specification