Patent ID: 7941356

Claim:
A computer implemented method for managing and optimizing the profitability of a plurality of physicians in a healthcare practice participating in an insurance network, the computer implemented method comprising the steps of: receiving, via a communications network, data for each of a plurality of physicians in a healthcare practice participating in an insurance network including current ancillary medical procedures used by each of the plurality of physicians to treat one or more of a plurality of patients that obtain healthcare services from the plurality of physicians and ancillary medical costs respective to each of the plurality of physicians; comparing, in a first computer process, the data received via the communications network for each of the plurality of physicians in the healthcare practice with one or more preferred ancillary medical procedures of the insurance network; identifying, in a second computer process, responsive to the first computer process, at least one of the plurality of physicians in the healthcare practice who engages in ancillary medical procedures that are not preferred by the insurance network; recommending to the at least one of the plurality of physicians in the healthcare practice, responsive to the second computer process via the communications network, alternative ancillary medical procedures that are preferred by the insurance network; and determining, in a third computer process, whether the ancillary medical costs of the at least one of the plurality of physicians in the healthcare practice participating in the insurance network has reached the predetermined level within a preselected period of time.