System and method for processing data related to group benefit insurance having critical illness coverage

• US 8,438,049 B2
• Filed: 08/02/2011
• Issued: 05/07/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hartford Fire Insurance Company (The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hartford Fire Insurance Company (The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ranicar, James A. III, Windisch, Stacie F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rankins, William
• Application Number:
  US13/196,393
• Publication Number:
  US 20130035962A1
• Time in Patent Office: 644 Days
• Field of Search: 705/4
• US Class Current: 705/4
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/20 for computer-aided diagnosis, e.g. based on medical expert systems

Abstract

A computer system for processing data related to a group benefit insurance policy issued to a group policyholder to extend coverage to individual insureds and having a critical illness benefit includes a data storage device storing data indicative of: a plurality of categories of medical diagnoses; a plurality of diagnoses associated with each of the categories; a first occurrence value; a second occurrence value; and prior claims under the critical illness benefit by the insured. The system is configured to provide instructions for payment of the first occurrence value for a first diagnosis of an insured in a category, and the second occurrence value, which is less than the first occurrence value, for a second diagnosis of the insured in the same category.

Claims

1. A computer system for processing data related to a group benefit insurance policy issued to a group policyholder to extend coverage to individual insureds and having a critical illness benefit, comprising:

a data storage device storing data indicative of;

a plurality of categories of medical diagnoses;

a plurality of diagnoses associated with each of the categories;

a first occurrence value;

a second occurrence value; and

prior claims under the critical illness benefit by the insured; and

a processor in communication with the data storage device, the processor configured to;

receive via a network from a user-accessible device data associated with a current claim for a critical illness benefit, the data including data indicative of an insured and a diagnosis of a medical condition of the insured;

access from the data storage device the data indicative of diagnoses, categories, and prior claims;

determine a category corresponding the diagnosis of the current claim;

determine whether a prior claim had been paid to the insured for a diagnosis in the determined category;

responsive to determining that no prior claim had been paid to the insured for a diagnosis in the determined category, provide an output signal having data indicative of instructions to pay the insured the first occurrence value; and

responsive to determining that one and only one prior claim had been paid to the insured for a diagnosis in the determined category, provide an output signal having data indicative of instructions to pay the insured the second occurrence value.

2. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to provide data indicative of the instructions to the user accessible device.

3. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the first occurrence value is greater than the second occurrence value.

4. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to, responsive to determining that two prior claims had been paid to the insured for a diagnosis in the determined category, provide an output signal having data indicative that no payment is to be made to the insured.

5. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to, responsive to receiving via a network from a user-accessible device data indicative of a request for a premium waiver, and responsive to determining that the request states that the insured is prevented from employment as a result of a medical condition, providing an output signal to a premium billing system to implement a waiver of premiums.

6. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the instructions are indicative of payment of the first occurrence value as a lump sum.

7. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured, responsive to receipt of data indicative of health screening services received by the insured, provide an output signal having data indicative of instructions to pay a health screening amount to the insured.

8. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to, responsive to receipt of the claim, provide an output signal having data indicative of waiver of a surrender charge on an annuity account of the insured.

9. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to apply differential benefit exclusion periods dependent on the category associated with the current claim.

10. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to cause the user-accessible device to prompt a user to create an image file of a document.

11. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to, responsive to receipt of a diagnosis of a cancer in a partial cancer category, provide a signal indicative of a benefit amount lower than a reoccurrence value.

12. A computer-implemented method for processing data related to a group benefit insurance policy issued to a group policyholder to extend coverage to individual insureds and having a critical illness benefit, comprising:

prompting a user at a user accessible device to provide data relating to a claim for critical illness benefit, the data relating to a current critical illness claim comprising data indicative of the insured and a medical diagnosis of the insured;

receiving at an administrative system device data relating to the current critical illness claim, the administrative system device in communication with a data storage device storing data indicative of;

first and second categories of medical diagnoses;

a plurality of diagnoses associated with the first category and a plurality of diagnoses associated with the second category;

a first benefit amount associated with a first occurrence;

a second benefit amount, lower than the first benefit amount, associated with a second occurrence;

associating by the administrative system the first category or the second category with the current critical illness claim;

determining by the administrative system whether a benefit amount had previously been paid to the insured in the category associated with the current critical illness claim;

responsive to determining that no benefit amount had previously been paid to the insured in the category associated with the current critical illness claim, for a diagnosis in the determined category, providing by the administrative system an output signal having data indicative of a determination to pay the insured the first occurrence value; and

responsive to determining that one benefit amount had been paid to the insured in the category associated with the current critical illness claim, providing by the administrative system an output signal having data indicative of a determination to pay the insured the second occurrence value.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 12, wherein the medical diagnoses associated with the first category comprise heart attack, heart transplant and stroke.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 13, wherein the medical diagnoses associated with the second category comprise cancer.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 14, wherein the data storage device further stores data indicative of a third category of medical diagnosis, the third category of medical diagnosis comprising major organ transplant.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 12, further comprising, responsive to determining that a benefit amount had been paid in any category, determining whether a waiting period after the payment had expired, and providing an output signal indicative of no benefit payment to be made responsive to determining that the waiting period had not expired.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 12, further comprising, responsive to a request for a change in coverage, determining whether a requested new benefit amount is guaranteed issue, and responsive to determining that the amount is guaranteed issue, providing an output signal having data indicative of guaranteed issue.

18. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having processor executable instructions stored thereon, which instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:

prompt a user at a user accessible device to provide data relating to a claim for critical illness benefit under a group benefit insurance policy issued to a group policyholder to extend coverage to individual insureds, the data relating to a current critical illness claim comprising data indicative of the insured and a medical diagnosis of the insured;

receive data relating to the current critical illness claim,

access from a data storage device data indicative of one or more of;

first and second categories of medical diagnoses;

a plurality of diagnoses associated with the first category and a plurality of diagnoses associated with the second category;

a first benefit amount associated with a first occurrence;

a second benefit amount, lower than the first benefit amount, associated with a second occurrence;

associate the first category or the second category with the current critical illness claim;

determine whether a benefit amount had previously been paid to the insured in the category associated with the current critical illness claim;

responsive to determining that no benefit amount had previously been paid to the insured in the category associated with the current critical illness claim, for a diagnosis in the determined category, provide an output signal having data indicative of a determination to pay the insured the first occurrence value; and

responsive to determining that one benefit amount had been paid to the insured in the category associated with the current critical illness claim, provide an output signal having data indicative of a determination to pay the insured the second occurrence value.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor further cause the processor to provide an output signal to cause the user-accessible device to display a prompt for certification by a licensed medical professional of the diagnosis of the current claim.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the processor, responsive to a determination of a payment, to calculate a reduced amount of a death benefit of associated group life insurance coverage on the life of the insured.