Method and system using combined healthcare-payment device and web portal for receiving patient medical information

• US 8,788,284 B2
• Filed: 04/27/2007
• Issued: 07/22/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Visa USA, Inc. (Visa, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Visa USA, Inc. (Visa, Inc.)
• Inventors: Smith, Nigel
• Primary Examiner(s): PAULS, JOHN A
• Application Number:
  US11/796,185
• Publication Number:
  US 20070282637A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,643 Days
• Field of Search: 705/2, 705/3, 705/4, 705/40, 705/67, 707/100
• US Class Current: 705/3
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records

Abstract

Embodiments of systems and methods in accordance with the present invention relate to a centralized portal for making healthcare information of a patient accessible to a plurality of entities, including but not limited to the patient himself/herself, healthcare providers authorized by the patient, and healthcare payers (insurance carriers) authorized by the patient. In one embodiment, the portal comprises a website associated with a portable consumer device (such as a HSA magnetic stripe credit/debit card) of the patient, and hosted on a server accessible over the world wide web or another computer network. The patient sets a privacy level associated with his or her medical record on the host site, the privacy level granting certain entities (for example healthcare providers or insurance carriers) access to particular medical records of the patient. Upon presenting the portable consumer device to an authorized healthcare provider, medical information previously transmitted through a payment processing network may be received at the authorized healthcare provider.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a medical service eligibility inquiry message from a first healthcare provider via a payment processing network,

the medical service eligibility inquiry message indicating a medical record information access request

the payment processing network being configured to communicate, and process transactions using financial transaction credit card account originated communication message protocols having a financial interchange specification;

retrieving a privacy level associated with a patient'"'"'s medical record from a patient terminal, wherein the privacy level is designated to a first healthcare provider by a patient via a user interface of a host site, and the user interface of the host site is presented to the patient via the patient terminal;

granting, by a host computer, the first healthcare provider access to the patient'"'"'s medical record stored at a server and accessible through the user interface of the host site, based on the received privacy level, wherein the first healthcare provider has a different level of access to the patient'"'"'s medical record than a second healthcare provider;

obtaining the medical record information access request related to the first healthcare provider from the received medical service eligibility inquiry message, wherein the medical service eligibility inquiry message is sent upon triggering a portable consumer device at a financial payment acceptance terminal at the first healthcare provider who has access to the patient'"'"'s medical record, the medical service eligibility inquiry message is sent through the payment processing network via an acquirer,

wherein the payment processing network processes transactions between and amongst networks, wherein the acquirer is a financial institution with an account associated with the first healthcare provider;

determining that the privacy level designated to the first healthcare provider grants the first healthcare provider access to the requested medical record information; and

sending, according to the privacy level, the requested medical record information from the patient'"'"'s medical record and co-payment information, to the first healthcare provider, in response to the medical record information access request from the received medical service eligibility inquiry message,

wherein the requested medical record information and the co-payment information are transmitted through the payment processing network,

wherein the medical information includes at least one of a medical condition, a medication history, a current medication, a treatment, a referral, a follow-up, or a medication.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the payment processing system is specifically adapted to process medical and medical payment information.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the privacy level allows the first healthcare provider to access patient eligibility information, patient co-payment information, patient deductible information, and patient balance owed post-adjudication,

but not to access patient medical information such as medical treatments unrelated to an area of practice of the first healthcare provider, or the patient medical information not pertinent to a specific procedure performed or to be performed by the first healthcare provider.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the patient'"'"'s medical record is accessible on the host site to a healthcare insurance carrier.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising setting a second privacy level governing access of the healthcare insurance carrier to the patient'"'"'s medical record.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising uploading the medical information to the host site through the payment processing network.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the medical information is received in response to a healthcare claim message, communicated over the payment processing network from the first healthcare provider.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the medical service eligibility inquiry message complies with HIPAA 270 and the healthcare claim message complies with HIPAA 837.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the triggering occurs prior to treatment.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

after the patient receives a treatment, receiving feedback from the patient that relates to the treatment provided by the healthcare provider;

incorporating, by the host computer, the feedback into a rating associated with the first healthcare provider; and

providing the rating associated with the first healthcare provider to another patient.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the rating associated with the first healthcare provider is communicated to the another patient through a hotline.

12. An apparatus comprising:

a host computer including a processor in electronic communication with a computer readable storage medium, the computer readable medium having code stored thereon to direct the processor to;

receive a medical service eligibility inquiry message from a first healthcare provider via a payment processing network,

the medical service eligibility inquiry message indicating a medical record information access request

the payment processing network being configured to communicate, and process transactions using financial transaction credit card account originated communication message protocols having a financial interchange specification;

retrieve a privacy level associated with a patient'"'"'s medical record via a host site, wherein the privacy level is designated to a first healthcare provider by a patient via a user interface of the host site, and the user interface of the host site is presented to the patient via a patient terminal, and

wherein the privacy level provides the first healthcare provider with the ability to access the patient'"'"'s medical record that is different from a second healthcare provider,

grant the first healthcare provider access to the patient'"'"'s medical record stored at a server and accessible through the host site, based on the received privacy level,

obtain the medical record information access request related to the first healthcare provider from the received medical service eligibility inquiry message, wherein the medical record information access eligibility inquiry message is sent upon triggering a portable consumer device at a financial payment acceptance terminal at the first healthcare provider who has access to the patient'"'"'s medical record,

determine that the privacy level designated to the first healthcare provider grants the first healthcare provider access to the requested medical record information, and

send information pertaining to the patient'"'"'s medical record to the first healthcare provider who has access to the patient'"'"'s medical record through the payment processing network, in response to the medical record information access request from the medical service eligibility inquiry message sent via an acquirer through the payment processing network,

wherein the acquirer is a financial institution with an account associated with the first healthcare provider, wherein the triggering of the portable consumer device to the first healthcare provider causes the medical service eligibility inquiry message to be sent,

wherein the information includes at least one of a medical condition, a medication history, a current medication, a treatment, a referral, a follow-up, or a medication.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the host site may be accessed by the first provider from the world wide web.

14. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein one privacy level allows the first provider to access certain medical records of the patient, but not to access other medical records designated as confidential by the patient.

15. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the computer readable storage medium further comprises code allowing the first healthcare provider to update the patient'"'"'s medical record.

16. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the computer readable storage medium further comprises code allowing the first healthcare provider to upload medical information to the patient'"'"'s medical record.

17. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the computer readable storage medium further comprises code allowing the host computer to be accessed based upon the portable consumer device authenticated to the patient.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the payment processing network is specifically adapted to process debit and credit card transactions.

19. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing computer-executable instructions executable by a processor to:

receive a medical service eligibility inquiry message from a first healthcare provider via a payment processing network,

the medical service eligibility inquiry message indicating a medical record information access request

the payment processing network being configured to communicate, and process transactions using financial transaction credit card account originated communication message protocols having a financial interchange specification;

retrieve a privacy level associated with a patient'"'"'s medical record via a host site, wherein the privacy level is designated to a first healthcare provider by a patient via a user interface of the host site, and the user interface of the host site is presented to the patient via a patient terminal, and

wherein the privacy level provides the first healthcare provider with the ability to access the patient'"'"'s medical record that is different from a second healthcare provider with access to the medical record;

grant the first healthcare provider access to the patient'"'"'s medical record stored at a server and accessible through the host site, based on the received privacy level;

determine a medical record information access request related to the first healthcare provider from the received medical service eligibility inquiry message, wherein the medical record information access eligibility inquiry message is sent upon triggering a portable consumer device at a financial payment acceptance terminal at the first healthcare provider who has access to the patient'"'"'s medical record;

determine that the privacy level designated to the first healthcare provider grants the first healthcare provider access to the requested medical record information; and

send information pertaining to the patient'"'"'s medical record to the first healthcare provider who has access to the patient'"'"'s medical record through the payment processing network, in response to the medical record information access request from the medical service eligibility inquiry message sent via an acquirer through the payment processing network,

wherein the acquirer is a financial institution with an account associated with the first healthcare provider, wherein the triggering of the portable consumer device to the first healthcare provider causes the medical service eligibility inquiry message to be sent,

wherein the information includes at least one of a medical condition, a medication history, a current medication, a treatment, a referral, a follow-up, or a medication.

20. The computer readable storage medium of claim 19 further comprising code allowing the first healthcare provider to update the patient'"'"'s medical record.

21. The computer readable storage medium of claim 19 further comprises code allowing the first healthcare provider to upload medical information to the patient'"'"'s medical record.

22. The computer readable storage medium of claim 19 further comprising code allowing the host computer to be accessed based upon the portable consumer device authenticated to the patient.

23. A method for management of healthcare information, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a medical service eligibility inquiry message from a first healthcare provider via a payment processing network,

the medical service eligibility inquiry message indicating a medical record information access request

the payment processing network being configured to communicate, and process transactions using financial transaction credit card account originated communication message protocols having a financial interchange specification;

retrieving a plurality of access authorization levels based on a type of healthcare information needed for a patient by a healthcare provider,

wherein the plurality of access authorization levels are specified by a patient via a user interface of a host site and include a first access authorization level and a second access authorization level,

wherein the first access authorization level and the second access authorization level are associated with different healthcare providers and grant different levels of access to the patient'"'"'s medical record;

wherein the medical record information access eligibility inquiry message is sent upon triggering a portable device at a financial payment acceptance terminal at the healthcare provider who has access to the patient'"'"'s medical record,

wherein the patient provides the healthcare provider with access to the healthcare information using the portable device and wherein the level of access is based on the first access authorization level, and

wherein the healthcare information is stored at a server and accessible through the host site and includes medical information and co-payment information, wherein the medical information includes at least one of;

a medical condition, a medication history, a current medication, a treatment, a referral, a follow-up, or a medication;

obtaining the medical record information access request related to the healthcare provider from the received medical service eligibility inquiry message;

determining that the privacy level designated to the healthcare provider grants the healthcare provider access to the requested medical record information;

sending, by the payment processing network, the healthcare information to the healthcare provider after receiving the medical service eligibility inquiry message including the medical record information access request received from an acquirer that is a financial institution with an account associated with the healthcare provider; and

transacting, by the payment processing network, a payment to the healthcare provider for a service rendered to the patient using the portable device.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the eligibility inquiry message is routed from a third party interface.

25. An electronic medical record retrieval processor-implemented method, comprising:

obtaining, via a payment processing network being configured to communicate, and process transactions using financial transaction credit card account originated communication message protocols having a financial interchange specification, a medical service eligibility inquiry message from a first healthcare provider,

the medical service eligibility inquiry message being generated upon an instantiation of a consumer payment device at a financial payment acceptance terminal located at the first healthcare provider,

the medical service eligibility inquiry message indicating a medical record information access request;

obtaining patient identifying information from the medical service eligibility inquiry message;

retrieving medical record privacy settings associated with a patient'"'"'s medical record,

the medical record privacy settings including a first privacy level designated to the first healthcare provider and a second privacy level designated to a second healthcare provider,

the medical record privacy settings being provided by a patient via a user interface of a host site, and the user interface of the host site is presented to the patient via a patient terminal;

determining the first privacy level grants the first healthcare provider access to the patient'"'"'s medical record stored at a server and accessible through the user interface of the host site,

wherein the second privacy level indicates access restriction for the second healthcare provider to access the patient'"'"'s medical record;

sending, the requested medical record information from the patient'"'"'s medical record and co-payment information, to the first healthcare provider, in response to the medical record information access request from the received medical service eligibility inquiry message,

wherein the requested medical record information and the co-payment information are transmitted through the payment processing network,

wherein the medical information includes at least one of a medical condition, a medication history, a current medication, a treatment, a referral, a follow-up, or a medication.