Abstract:
A system and method for automatically generating customized and user-friendly patient billing statements which can contain news tailored to the demographics of the recipient based on data mined from the data print stream for the individuals or entities to be billed. In particular, a patient billing system and method that provides a customized solution that transforms ordinary patient billing data into targeted, patient-friendly, data-driven documents that are individualized to each type of patient and which include financial and wellness information.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application is a divisional of U.S. application Ser. No. 10/461,783, filed Jun. 13, 2003, which is hereby incorporated herein in its entirety by reference. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention relates to a computerized billing system and method, and in particular, a patient billing system and method that provides a customized solution that transforms ordinary patient billing data into targeted, patient-friendly, data-driven documents that are individualized to each type of patient and which include financial and wellness information. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    Billing statements play an important part in the Healthcare industry as they provide the medium in which healthcare providers may recover payments for the services rendered. Despite the trend in the Healthcare industry to provide more financial information to their patients, many healthcare providers are saddled with inflexible billing systems that can only generate static, “canned” patient billing documents that are often confusing to the patient and cannot be tailored to the particular needs or interests of the patient. For example, conventional billing statements do not take into consideration the ability of the individual to read the billing statement (e.g., if the person has poor eyesight or only reads Spanish). Furthermore, the conventional billing statements often contain complex and/or confusing medical terminology relating to the services rendered. Accordingly, patients are often unable to read and understand all of the information on the billing statement. 
         [0004]    Another issue that often arises is due to the various insurance possibilities that a patient may have. For example, many of the patients who have Medicare are unaware of their own financial responsibilities under the plan. Also, in a situation where a patient has supplemental or secondary insurance, it is often difficult to track the individual requirements of the separate insurance programs and the extent that the particular procedures are covered. 
         [0005]    Therefore, there is a need to produce and offer a patient-friendly billing system and method that provides a simplified billing statement that may be particularly tailored according to the needs and health issues of a patient, while being easy and economical to manufacture and use. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    The present invention is an improvement over conventional patient billing systems in that the system and method for providing a simplified billing statement that may be tailored according to the particular needs of a patient is unique and an improvement over the prior art. In particular, the present invention enables the use of particular patient data (e.g., information pertaining to the patient&#39;s financial class or demographics) to customize the printed format and text for each patient. In operation, the software and document publishing system of the present invention can extract insights about the patient from the patient data so as to tailor the billing statement depending upon the particular insurance coverage, if any, of the patient. The system may then specifically tailor the billing statement to that patient. For example, billing for a Medicare patient may include custom-tailored Medicare information and font styles of an increased size that are easier to read. Furthermore, the billing statement may include targeted marketing and educational information based on the patient information. 
         [0007]    The system of the present invention also allows data from multiple accounts to be combined and presented as a single bill with one balance for the patient to pay or merged into the same envelope for postage and operational savings. Data from multiple billing systems of multiple healthcare providers may also be merged into a combined bill and presented to the patient as a single balance. The formats can be tailored to meet the needs of the provider as well. 
         [0008]    It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved patient-friendly billing system and method for producing patient-friendly billing statements that are easy and straightforward to read and understand. 
         [0009]    It is another object of the present invention to utilize patient data to customize patient-friendly billing statements for each patient. 
         [0010]    It is yet another object of the present invention to automatically provide custom-tailored insurance information to patients based on the information stored in the system. 
         [0011]    It is still yet another object of the present invention to use patient data from the system to direct targeted marketing and educational information to patients. 
         [0012]    Yet another object of the present invention is to interpret the patient data in order, if required, to perform such operations as: printing special text; suppressing itemized charges; printing marketing/wellness news; renaming medical technology into patient-friendly terminology; and providing specialized billing formats. 
         [0013]    The present invention provides a targeted and patient-friendly computerized billing system, so that the problems of conventional billing systems can be overcome and the foregoing objects provided. 
         [0014]    Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed disclosure, taken in conjunction with the accompanying sheets of drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to like parts. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0015]    Having thus described the invention in general terms, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, which are not necessarily drawn to scale, and wherein: 
           [0016]      FIG. 1 . is a block diagram illustrating an embodiment of the invention showing a server operably connected to computers (not shown) via modems or the Internet and to a disk array. 
           [0017]      FIG. 2  is an example of a conventional prior art billing statement. 
           [0018]      FIGS. 3A and 3B  are an example of a data sheet used in one embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0019]      FIGS. 4A and 4B  are an example of one embodiment of a targeted and patient-friendly billing statement of the present invention that is created based on the information from the data sheet from  FIGS. 3A and 3B . 
           [0020]      FIG. 5  is another example of an embodiment of a targeted and patient-friendly billing statement of the present invention. 
           [0021]      FIGS. 6A and 6B  are yet another example of a targeted and patient-friendly billing statement of the present invention including promotional material about the provider. 
           [0022]      FIG. 7  is still yet another embodiment of a targeted and patient-friendly billing statement of the present invention. 
           [0023]      FIGS. 8A and 8B  is another embodiment of a patient-friendly billing statement of the present invention. 
           [0024]      FIGS. 9A and 9B  is an example of a billing statement of the present invention that combines multiple accounts into one statement. 
           [0025]      FIG. 10  is a flow chart diagram of one embodiment of the steps involved in producing targeted and patient-friendly billing statements of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0026]    The present invention now will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which some, but not all embodiments of the inventions are shown. Indeed, these inventions may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will satisfy applicable legal requirements. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout. 
         [0027]    While this invention is susceptible of embodiment in many different forms, there is shown in the drawings and will herein be described in detail several specific embodiments, with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered merely an exemplification of the principles of the invention and the application is limited only to the appended claims. 
         [0028]    Referring now to the drawings, and particularly to  FIG. 1 , there is shown a preferred embodiment of the hardware needed for the preferred embodiment of the patient billing system of the present invention. The targeted and patient-friendly billing system, generally designated by the number 10, is shown as having an IBM® or comparable server  13 , a disk array  16 , and a Sun® Netra XI type server  17 . 
         [0029]    The IBM Server  13  preferably has Windows  2000  Server software as its operating system and WildCat® Inet Server software to accept files through conventional analog lines using modems  11  and  12 . In the preferred embodiment, this system is used as a Bulletin Board System (“BBS”), or an electronic message center that allows one to dial in with a modem, review messages left by others, and leave messages. It is appreciated that the IBM server may use different server software and/or operating systems and not depart from the scope of the present invention. 
         [0030]    The Sun® Netra XI type server  17  preferably is installed with: a Sun Solaris  8  operating system; First Logic Ace software to verify and standardize the mailing address; and Adobe Acrobat® 5.0 for Unix® Server so as to enable the creation of PDF files for electronic presentation, research and COLD storage. “COLD” is the acronym for storage of data on optical discs, such as CD-ROMs. Storing large volumes of data on laser disk, as opposed to microfiche or microfilm, lets the user access and search this information by computer. 
         [0031]    The Sun Netra XI Server  17  also preferably has installed applications in Korn Shell so as to provide scripts that will accomplish a process by automating the processing and transmission of the data. Applications in ANSI C and C++ will accomplish data mining from the original data stream file and data file(s) provided by the healthcare provider. In addition to the data mining, such C programs will also provide the formatting of the data for the particular print environment to be used. While a Sun Netra XI Server is preferred, it is appreciated that other servers or devices having the same, similar or different software may be utilized and not depart from the scope of the present invention. 
         [0032]    The disk array  16  is used to store all received and processed data. While an example of a disk array is a Maxtor Max Attach 4300 hard disk array, it is appreciated that other types of disk arrays or comparable devices may be used and not depart from the scope of the present invention. The disk array  16  preferably keeps a backup of the C and Korn Shell applications. By maintaining all such data and applications in one central location, processing power can be expanded with minimal impact. It is appreciated that software such as, but not limited to, Corel® Draw 10 can be used to create all of the overlays or forms as well as any artwork that may be needed. Using the system of the present invention, print files can be generated in: ANSI print format; Xerox DJDE; Xerox VIPP; PostScript, PCL and PDF. 
         [0033]    As shown in  FIG. 1 , when data arrives via BBS or File Transfer Protocol (FTP) via modems  11  and  12  or otherwise to server  13 , the data is systematically moved to the disk array  16  and thereby removed from the IBM server  13 . With respect to data arriving via FTP, files are first uploaded from a workstation to an FTP server or downloaded from an FTP server to a workstation. The files are then available on the Internet. 
         [0034]    Based on availability, the Nextra XI server  17  will pick the file or files that have arrived, decrypt the file or files, process the data, generate the reports and print the images. An example of a decryption system is PGP, which stands for “Pretty Good Privacy” and is a public domain encryption system that is based on the public key—private key method wherein a public key is disseminated to the intended recipient and a public key is used to decrypt messages that you receive. In order to increase the security of the communications and file transfers, a firewall  14  is preferably provided between servers  13  and  17  and the Internet  15 . It is appreciated that other security measures and devices may be used and not depart from the scope of the present invention. While the preferred embodiment is shown as using the Internet or a modem to transmit data, it is appreciated that the system of the proposed invention may comprise a stand alone computer having the necessary software or a networked computer that transmits and shares data through a secure network. 
         [0035]    Referring to  FIG. 2 , a conventional prior art billing statement is displayed. The conventional billing statement, generally designated by the numeral  30 , provides a minimum amount of information such as the patient information and a listing of the medical services according to their technical name. 
         [0036]    Unlike the conventional billing statements, among the types of custom tailored and user-friendly operations that the system of the present invention can perform in response to information in the data stream about the recipient are: printing special text based on “Financial Class” and “Insurance type”; printing special text based on the existence of no, primary or secondary insurance providers to the patient; suppressing itemized charges of a typical hospital bill based on such criteria as “Patient Type” or “Insurance Type”; printing marketing/wellness news based on the demographic information of the patient; renaming medical terminology into patient friendly terminology; and suppressing the payment stub portion of the bill, if the Patient Balance equals zero. 
         [0037]      FIGS. 3A and 3B  illustrate an example of a data sheet printout of the patient data stream received from the healthcare provider. The data stream generally includes information that is categorized into a plurality of categories. Examples of categories include, but are not limited to: patient information; insurance information; healthcare provider information; current charges, payments and adjustments; message area; and patient balance. While the information is shown as being listed according to particular line numbers, it is appreciated that the information may be listed or categorized in any number of ways and not depart from the scope of the present invention. Furthermore, while a data stream is shown and disclosed, it is appreciated that the information may be inputted and stored in other mediums including, but not limited to, databases that may be accessed by the health care providers. 
         [0038]    The patient information may be listed in one or more patient information areas or data fields  50  of the data stream. Referring to the example of the data stream in  FIG. 3 , the patient information  52  is generally listed in lines  2  through  10  and line  45 . Patient information may include, but is not limited to the patient name, address, phone number, date of birth and sex. Additionally, the data stream may also include an area  54  to designate the financial class of the patient. Such information may be used by the insurance company or other entity that issues the billing statement to provide financial or other pertinent information to the patient, including payments plans or alternate means of payment. 
         [0039]    The insurance information area  56  preferably includes information pertaining to all of the patient&#39;s various insurance coverage. In the preferred embodiment, the insurance information area will list the patient&#39;s primary insurance coverage as well as any supplemental or secondary insurance coverage. Examples of insurance coverage include, but are not limited to, insurance policies from insurance companies such as Blue Cross &amp; Blue Shield, Medicare and AARP. Additionally, the insurance information area  56  will indicate if the patient does not have any insurance on file. In operation, the system of the present invention will read the data associated with the insurance information to determine whether the billing statement should include specifically tailored information on the billing statement for the patient, as described in more detail below. 
         [0040]    Referring again to  FIG. 3A , the data sheet indicates that the patient has Medicare in line  13 . As shown by reference number  60  in  FIG. 4A , the billing statement may therefore include information concerning the health care provider&#39;s billing policies toward patients with Medicare, or any other information concerning Medicare that may be useful to the patient. As shown in area  60  of the billing statement, an example of a possible statement concerning the healthcare provider&#39;s Medicare policies is as follows:
       We bill Medicare and payment will be submitted directly to the hospital. We have added preventive healthcare and education news on the back of this statement. We hope to serve you again, if a health need arises.       
 
         [0042]    As only Medicare is listed in the insurance information section of the data stream, and no secondary insurance is listed, the system preferably will automatically print language on the billing statement regarding the patient&#39;s insurance coverage. Referring to the example of a billing statement in  FIG. 4A , an example of language regarding the patient&#39;s primary and secondary or supplemental insurance coverage is as follows:
       Our records indicate that you have Medicare as your primary Insurance and do not have a supplemental insurance. Please call the number listed below if that is not correct.       
 
         [0044]    Similarly, if the patient is listed as having no insurance (“self-pay”), the billing statement preferably indicates that the health care provider does not have any insurance information on file. The billing statement may accordingly include appropriate language to verify that the patient does not have any insurance. An example of such language is as follows:
       Our records indicate that you have no insurance for the services listed below. If this is not correct please call our Account Service Unit immediately.       
 
         [0046]    While the above paragraphs are shown and described, it is appreciated that the paragraphs will vary depending on the type(s) of insurance coverage that the patient has and are only an example of the information that may be included on the billing statement regarding the patient&#39;s insurance coverage. Accordingly, the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments shown in the Figures. 
         [0047]    It is also appreciated that the system may tailor the billing statement to be easier to read if the data stream indicates that the patient has Medicare or has other potential problems that might hinder the patient&#39;s understanding of the billing statement. For example, the billing statement may be printed in a larger and/or different font that may be more readily read by someone who has poorer vision. Additionally, the billing statement may be printed in a foreign language if the patient information indicates that the patient does not read English. 
         [0048]    The Current Charges, Payments and Adjustments section  62  preferably comprises a listing of itemized charges. The listing preferably includes information relating to the date(s) that the various services were provided; the types of services provided; a service code; and the amount of payments and charges. Additional information may include the balance forward; a summary of the current payments and adjustments; and a summary of the current charges. In the preferred embodiment, the system will adjust or tailor the billing statement based on the information provided in the Current Charges, Payments and Adjustments section  62 . For example, itemized charges listed in section  62  may be suppressed on the billing statement if the information in the data stream indicates that the “patient type” is “inpatient”. Moreover, if the balance due is zero, then the payment stub portion may be suppressed on the billing statement as shown in  FIG. 4A  at reference numeral  64 . 
         [0049]    Reference numeral  66  of  FIG. 4B  illustrates an example of the type of Health News &amp; Information that may be selected to appear on the statement depending on the patient&#39;s demographics or interests. In the preferred embodiment, the system reviews the patient data and demographic information to permit the health care provider to include information that is specifically tailored to the needs and/or health problems of the patient. 
         [0050]    In the preferred embodiment, the medical terminology of the summary of current charges is re-named and changed, if necessary, to patient-friendly terminology. For example, the medical terminology of “Facility Charge” and “Prof. Fee: Lev” listed in lines  27  and  28  of  FIG. 3A  are preferably read by the system and changed into more user-friendly descriptions such as “Treatment or Observation Room” and “E/R Pro (Professional) Fees” as shown in area  68  of the billing statement. Examples of other user friendly descriptions includes, but are not limited to: Operating Room Services; Central Services and Supplies; Imaging; and Pharmacy. 
         [0051]    Referring again to  FIG. 4A , a simplified and patient-friendly billing statement incorporating the information from the data sheet in  FIGS. 3A and 3B  is shown. The billing statement is preferably divided into distinct categories having topical headings to facilitate the reading of the information from the billing statement. Examples of categorical sections and topical headings, as shown in  FIG. 4A , include an Account Summary section  70 ; an Insurance Information section  72 ; a Patient Services Provided sections  74 ; a Questions section  76 ; and a Payment Stub section  64 . Additionally sections may include a Helpful Information About the Billing Statement section  78 ; a Health News and Information section  66 ; and a Change in Address and Insurance Information section  80 . Furthermore, information concerning the insurance coverage on file or other pertinent information may also be included at the top of the billing statement or elsewhere. While the example shown in the Figures and described herewithin include the aforementioned categorical sections and topical headings, it is appreciated that the system of the present invention may list the information from the data stream in additional or different sections and headings and not depart from the scope of the present invention. Furthermore, it is appreciated that the information may be organized in any number of ways on the billing statement and not depart from the scope of the present invention. 
         [0052]    In operation, the system reads the information from the data stream and incorporates that information, as well as additional information or material based on the data stream information, into the billing statement. Referring again to the example shown in  FIGS. 3A ,  3 B,  4 A and  4 B, the Account Summary section  70  succinctly details the information from the Current Charges, Payments and Adjustments area  62  from the data stream. In particular, the Account Summary section  70  informs the patient that the date that the services were provided was Jan. 6, 2002; the patient&#39;s prior balance was $212.09; the amount that the healthcare provider billed the patient&#39;s insurance, Medicare, was $1,429.16; the amount that Medicare paid was $1,217.07; and that the patient does not presently owe any money. Additional information may include, but is not limited to, any amounts that are currently pending with the patient&#39;s insurance providers; any amounts that the insurance providers indicate that they will not cover; and any amounts that the healthcare provider is responsible for. Because the patient does not currently owe any money, the system will preferably automatically suppress the patient pay stub  64 , thereby reaffirming to the patient that no money is presently owed. 
         [0053]    The Insurance Information section  72  preferably lists information pertaining to the patient&#39;s primary and supplemental insurance coverage. As shown in the example in  FIGS. 3A and 4A , the billing statement reads the insurance information from line  13  of the Insurance Coverage section  56  of the data sheet and lists the primary insurance coverage as Medicare and no supplemental insurance in the Insurance Information section  72 . Accordingly, the system may then include information on the billing statement that is specifically tailored to Medicare patients. 
         [0054]    The Questions section  76  of the billing statement may include a variety of information pertaining to the healthcare provider and/or the billing statement. Referring to the example of  FIG. 4A , the Questions section  76  may include information on how to address any questions or comments that the patient may have concerning the billing statement. The billing statement may also include additional information to clarify the healthcare provider&#39;s billing policies and the services that were performed in the Helpful Information section  78 . 
         [0055]    Additionally, the billing statement may also include health related information such as, but not limited to, seminars and/or literature on various medical topics. In the preferred embodiment, the billing statement reads and interprets the services that were performed on the patient, as well as other patient demographic information, to specifically tailor the health news and information to the patient&#39;s needs. For example, if the patient has had bypass surgery, the billing statement may include information on how to control one&#39;s cholesterol or how to detect a heart attack, or references pertaining to the same. It also may include information relating to hospital services that relate to the particular health issues that pertain to the patient. For example, it may provide details about possible doctors to contact regarding follow-up care or other marketing information pertaining to the healthcare provider. Additionally, the News and Information section  66  may include information pertaining to the patient&#39;s insurance coverage. For example, if the patient is listed as having Medicare, then the News and Information section may include, among other things, information on Medicare&#39;s annual deductible, scope of coverage and payment procedures. 
         [0056]      FIG. 5  illustrates another example of a billing statement that may be produced by the system of the present invention. Similar to the example shown in  FIG. 4A , the billing statement is preferably divided into distinct categories having topical headings to facilitate the reading of the information from the billing statement. Examples of categorical sections and topical headings include, but are not limited to, an Account Summary section  82 ; an Insurance Information section  84 ; a Patient Services Provided sections  86 ; a Questions section  88 ; and a Payment Stub section  90 . Furthermore, information concerning the insurance coverage on file or other pertinent information may also be included at the top of the billing statement or elsewhere. While the example shown in  FIG. 5  and described herewithin includes the aforementioned categorical sections and topical headings, it is appreciated that the system of the present invention may list the information from the data stream or the like in additional or different sections and headings and not depart from the scope of the present invention. Furthermore, it is appreciated that the information may be organized in any number of ways on the billing statement and not depart from the scope of the present invention. 
         [0057]    Referring to the Account Summary section  82 , the billing statement indicates that all but $100.00 is pending with the patient&#39;s insurance. Accordingly, the system automatically includes a pay stub  64  for the patient to remit payment to the healthcare provider. Additionally, the Insurance Information section  84  indicates that the patient has Medicare as its primary insurance provider and Blue Cross as its supplemental or secondary insurance provider. 
         [0058]      FIGS. 6A and 6B  illustrate an alternate embodiment of a patient-friendly billing statement of the present invention. Information read from the data stream, database or the like is used to tailor the billing statement toward the particular patient to make the statement easy to read and understand. In particular, the example shows the billing statement in the form of a modified letter to the patient. The example shown in  FIGS. 6A and 6B  shows the billing statement divided into an Account Information section  91 , a body  92  of the letter, a Contact Information section  93 , a News and Information section  94 , a Description of the Services and Charges section  95 , a Payment Activity section  96  and an Insurance and Patient Information Update section  97 . While the examples shown in  FIGS. 6A and 6B  and elsewhere depict certain categorical sections and topical headings, it is appreciated that the system of the present invention may include different or additional material and list the information in additional or different sections and headings and not depart from the scope of the present invention. Furthermore, it is appreciated that the information may be organized in any number of ways on the billing statement and not depart from the scope of the present invention. 
         [0059]    Information contained within the Account Information section  91  preferably includes the patient name and service date, as well as a summary of the account. In this example, the account is shown as having a current account balance of $45.00, with the patient&#39;s current responsibility being $0.00. The body  92  of the letter may detail, among other things, the services that were rendered and the fact that the healthcare provider (e.g., a hospital) billed the patient&#39;s primary insurance provider (e.g., Blue Cross). Contact information is also preferably clearly provided to allow the patient to contact the health care provider with any questions. It is also appreciated that the system may allow for the healthcare provider to direct messages to the patient. For example, if the account is determined to be substantially past due, the system may automatically include language indicating that the account is past due and will be turned over to a collection agency unless payment is made. 
         [0060]    News regarding the healthcare provider or various programs or services may be included in the News and Information section  94 . In the preferred embodiment, the system receives and reviews the demographic information concerning the patient to allow it to include news and information that is of particular relevance to the patient. 
         [0061]    Referring now to  FIG. 6B , the second page (or back side of the first page shown in the example in  FIG. 6A ) is shown. The Description of the Services and Charges section  95  preferably includes a description of the services provided and the associated charges. In the preferred embodiment, the description reads the specific medical terminology listed in the data stream or the like and converts the information into patient-friendly terminology to render the billing statement more readable by the patient. 
         [0062]    The Payment Activity section  96  preferably includes information such as, but not limited to, the amount that the principal insurance provider, supplemental insurance provider and patient have been billed and paid. Additionally, the billing statement may include field entry areas in an Insurance and Patient Information Update section  97  to allow the patient to fill out, update and/or correct information relating to the patient or the patient&#39;s insurance. 
         [0063]      FIG. 7  is yet another embodiment of a patient-friendly billing statement of the present invention. The billing statement includes information  98  pertaining to the patient and the insurance companies near the top of the statement; a description of services performed and the associated charges  99  in the middle of the statement; and a payment stub  101  at the bottom. In the present example, the patient information indicates that the patient has Medicare as his or her primary insurance provider and Blue Cross as a supplemental insurance provider. As the healthcare provider is billing Medicare for the full extent of the bill, the statement preferably clearly states that the patient is not currently responsible for the bill and should not remit any payments. Alternatively or additionally, the payment stub may be omitted when the patient is not currently responsible for payment. While the example shown in  FIG. 7  and described here above includes the aforementioned information, it is appreciated that the system may include different or additional material on the billing statement. Furthermore, it is appreciated that the information may be organized in any number of ways on the billing statement and not depart from the scope of the present invention. 
         [0064]    Referring to  FIGS. 8A and 8B , is yet another example of a billing statement. The example shown in  FIGS. 8A and 8B  shows the billing statement divided into the Account Summary section  110 , a body  112  of a letter, a Payment Stub section  114 , a Summary of Charges section  116  and an Insurance and Patient Information Update section  118 . It is appreciated that the system of the present invention may include different or additional material and list the information in additional or different sections and headings and not depart from the scope of the present invention. Furthermore, it is appreciated that the information may be organized in any number of ways on the billing statement and not depart from the scope of the present invention. 
         [0065]    The Account Summary section  110  preferably includes a brief synopsis of the charges pertaining to a particular account. Examples of items that may be listed in the Account Summary section include, but are not limited to: total charges for the account(s); total insurance payments/adjustments that have been made; total patient payments/adjustments that have been made; total balance on the account(s); insurance payment pending; and the amount the patient currently owes. The specific information on the charges is preferably listed in the Summary of Charges section  116 . While the Summary of Charges section lists the charges according to the date the service was performed, it is appreciated that the charges may be categorized in any number of ways and not depart from the scope of the present invention. The Summary of Charges section  116  may also include information regarding the charges that are currently pending before the insurance company. If the charges have been pending for a certain amount of time, the system may be programmed to automatically include a notice to the patient that unless the insurance (except Medicare) pays the amount, the patient will be individually responsible for the charges. 
         [0066]      FIGS. 9A and 9B  illustrate one embodiment of a billing statement produced by the system of the present invention that combines information from multiple accounts of the patient into one statement. The example shown in  FIGS. 9A and 9B  shows the billing statement divided into the Summary of Charges section  120 , a Payment Stub section  122 , an Information and News section  126 , and an Insurance and Patient Information Update section  128 . It is appreciated that the system of the present invention may include different or additional material and list the information in additional or different sections and headings and not depart from the scope of the present invention. Furthermore, it is appreciated that the information may be organized in any number of ways on the billing statement and not depart from the scope of the present invention. 
         [0067]    The Summary of Charges section  120  may include charges for the same patient under multiple accounts, thereby simplifying the billing procedure for both the healthcare provider and patient. The Payment Stub section  122  preferably includes an Account Charges Summary  124  section to allow the patient to indicate which of the accounts any remitted payments should be applied to. Although information concerning the various payment options is shown in the Information and News section, it is appreciated that any other type of news or information pertaining to the healthcare provider, bill or otherwise, may be included and not depart from the scope of the present invention. It is further appreciated that the system may provide for multiple billing statements pertaining to the various accounts of a patient to be merged into a single envelope. Data from multiple billing systems of multiple healthcare providers may also be merged into a combined bill and presented to the patient as a single balance. 
         [0068]    It is appreciated that the system may automatically, or upon the health care provider&#39;s request, send a billing statement in the form of a confirmation letter to the patient detailing the patient&#39;s insurance information on record and informing the patient that the health care provider has billed the patient&#39;s insurance provider. For example, if the system determines that the patient is not presently responsible for the charges and the health care provider has billed the insurance provider (e.g., Medicare), the system may automatically create an insurance confirmation letter for the health care provider to send to the patient. The letter may contain information pertaining to the patient&#39;s insurance coverage as well as the health care provider&#39;s billing policies. It is appreciated that the system of the present invention may include material in a number of different formats and list the information in different sections and headings and not depart from the scope of the present invention. Furthermore, it is appreciated that the information may be organized in any number of ways on the confirmation letter and not depart from the scope of the present invention. 
         [0069]    Referring to  FIG. 10 , the preferred steps in creating a targeted and patient-friendly billing statement are shown. While the operations of the present invention to be described in connection with the flow diagram of  FIG. 10  comprise one example of the manner in which the operations can take place, other sequences should be deemed as being within the scope of the present invention. 
         [0070]    In order to create a billing statement, the system receives and reads the data from the data stream, database or the like in step  200 . In reading the information contained in the data stream, the system will determine whether the patient has any insurance in step  202 . If it determined that the patient does not have any insurance on file in step  202 , then the system will print text on the billing statement in step  204  indicating that the patient does not have any insurance on file and that he or she will be responsible for the bill. The system may then proceed to read the itemized charges and patient type in step  214  as described below. 
         [0071]    If, on the other hand, the system determines from reading the information contained in the data stream that the patient has insurance in step  202 , then the system will identify the primary and supplemental insurance from reading the information from the respective data fields from the data stream in step  206 . Once the primary and supplemental insurance is identified, the system in step  208  preferably will specifically tailor the billing statement by, among other things, including information relating to the particular insurance coverage of the patient, and/or by formatting the billing statement for the patient. In particular, the system will check to determine whether the patient is a Medicare patient in step  210 . If it is determined that the patient is a Medicare patient then the font size for the billing statement may be increased and custom Medicare text may be printed on the billing statement in step  212 . 
         [0072]    Once the insurance coverage is determined, the itemized charges and patient type are read in step  214 . If the information read from the data stream indicates that the patient type is an “inpatient” in step  216 , then the system will preferably suppress the itemized charges in step  218 . If patient friendly text is desired for that particular type of patient in step  220 , then the medical terms may be automatically simplified in step  222  to make the statement more understandable to the patient. The system will also read the information from the data stream in step  224  to determine whether the patient owes any money. If the patient does not owe any money, or has a zero balance, the system preferably automatically suppresses the pay stub portion of the billing statement in step  226 . If news is to be printed on the billing statement in step  228 , the demographics of the patient are preferably reviewed in step  230 . By including news and other information based on the demographic information of the patient in step  232 , the system therefore allows the healthcare provider to provide more relevant information and marketing information to consumers. The system will thereafter create the remainder of the statement in step  234 . 
         [0073]    It will be understood that modifications and variations may be effected without departing from the scope of the novel concepts of the present invention, but it is understood that this application is limited only by the scope of the appended claims. 
         [0074]    Many modifications and other embodiments of the inventions set forth herein will come to mind to one skilled in the art to which these inventions pertain having the benefit of the teachings presented in the foregoing descriptions and the associated drawings. Therefore, it is to be understood that the inventions are not to be limited to the specific embodiments disclosed and that modifications and other embodiments are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims. Although specific terms are employed herein, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation.