Patent ID: 7739129
Filing Date: 2010-06-15
Classification: G06Q

Abstract:
1. A computer-implemented method comprising: receiving, by a computer and from a point of service (POS) device, a pre-authorization request to assure payment for a predetermined amount of a transaction with a consumer prior to a provider undertaking the transaction, the transaction being associated with a provision of a healthcare service, a sale of a healthcare product, or a lease of a healthcare product; automatically generating, by the computer, prior to undertaking the transaction, a ranking of benefit plans and benefit savings accounts associated with the consumer, wherein automatically generating the ranking further comprises determining at least whether a primary member of a particular benefit plan is the consumer, a spouse of the consumer, or a partner of the consumer, whether a particular benefit plan is employer sponsored, and whether a particular benefit plan includes a primacy provision; automatically determining, by the computer, an amount of the transaction that is covered by the benefit plans associated with the consumer based on sequentially sending a benefit plan payment request to one or more payment sources associated with each of the benefit plans, according to the ranking of the benefit plans, until the computer has determined that either at least the predetermined amount of the transaction is covered by the benefit plans or until each of the benefit plans has been polled; automatically determining, by the computer, an amount of the transaction not covered by the benefit plans that is covered by the benefit savings accounts associated with the consumer based on sequentially sending a benefits savings account payment request to one or more payment sources associated with each of the benefit savings accounts, according to the ranking of the benefit savings accounts, until the computer has determined that either at least the predetermined amount of the transaction is covered by the benefit plans and the benefit savings accounts or until each of the benefit savings accounts has been polled; automatically determining, by the computer, an amount of the transaction that is not covered by the benefit plans and the benefit savings accounts that is covered by a bank or credit account associated with the consumer based on sending a payment request to one or more payment sources associated with the bank or credit account, and determining, by the computer, that at least the predetermined amount of the transactions is covered by the benefit plans, benefits savings accounts, and the bank or credit account; transmitting, by the computer to the POS device, information for display by the POS device, the information identifying the amount of the transaction that is covered by the benefit plans, the benefit savings accounts, and the bank or credit account, for the consumer; receiving, by the computer from the POS device, an indication that the information has been conveyed to the consumer, and that the consumer has approved the transaction; transferring, by the computer, based on the received approval indication, funds in the amounts that are covered by the benefit plans, the benefit savings accounts, and the bank or credit account from the payment sources associated with each of the benefit plans, benefit savings accounts, and the bank or credit account, respectively, to an account associated with the provider prior to undertaking the transaction; and automatically transmitting, by the computer to the POS device, data authorizing the transaction when at least a portion of the predetermined amount of the transaction that is covered by the benefit plans, the benefit savings accounts, or the bank or credit account has been received in the account associated with the provider.