Abstract: A self-insured or self funded medical benefit plan is provided by an employer wherein the self-insured medical benefit plan is governed by ERISA, and wherein the employer who is providing the medical benefit plan is 100 percent responsible for payment for medical services provided to an employee, receiving the benefit of the medical benefit plan, to a medical service provider for covered medical services and products. The medical benefit plan and method for providing the medical benefit plan determines a reasonable value for the medical services provided by a medical service provider to a participant of the plan, reprices a bill or claim from the medical service provider, and protects the participant/employee under ERISA from attempted collections of additional moneys that a medical service provider may believe is owed for the medical services but were not paid by the exemplary self insured medical benefit plan.

Abstract: A self-insured or self funded medical benefit plan is provided by an employer wherein the self-insured medical benefit plan is governed by ERISA, and wherein the employer who is providing the medical benefit plan is 100 percent responsible for payment for medical services provided to an employee, receiving the benefit of the medical benefit plan, to a medical service provider for covered medical services and products. The medical benefit plan and method for providing the medical benefit plan determines a reasonable value for the medical services provided by a medical service provider to a participant of the plan, reprices a bill or claim from the medical service provider, and protects the participant/employee under ERISA from attempted collections of additional moneys that a medical service provider may believe is owed for the medical services but were not paid by the exemplary self insured medical benefit plan.

Abstract: Non-invasive methods for detecting arterial disease in vivo include obtaining acoustic signals from a sensor held on an external body region proximate an artery. A complex frequency grid of frequencies and associated lifetimes of the obtained acoustic signals is generated. A predictive model of complex frequencies associated with peak-perturbation acoustic signals attributed to boundary perturbations in vivo that occur with early stage arterial disease is provided. A predictive model of complex frequencies associated with line-perturbation acoustic signals attributed to boundary perturbations in vivo that occur with later stage arterial disease and thickening of arterial junctions is also provided. It is determined whether peak and/or line-perturbation acoustic signals of the predictive models are present to detect whether the subject has arterial disease.