Patents Examined by C. Luke Gilligan
  • Patent number: 7512548
    Abstract: A system and method are disclosed that enable a personal shopping cart to be used to select items from multiple web sites of multiple business entities, and to place a single order for the selected items. The shopping cart may remain persistent over multiple sessions of the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 1999
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2009
    Assignee: Amazon.com, Inc.
    Inventors: Jeffrey P. Bezos, Sheldon J. Kaphan, Ellen L. Ratajak, Thomas K. Schonhoff
  • Patent number: 7509263
    Abstract: The present invention provides physicians access to formulary data as well as important clinical and practice management information at the point of care on easy-to-use handheld electronic devices. The invention also provides a method for distributing medical data to medical personnel. The method comprises the steps of storing medical data in a database and periodically communicating selected medical data between the database and an electronic device to establish a medical data distribution system subsidized by sponsoring entities. The invention also provides a computer readable memory storing executable instructions for execution by a computer system such that the computer system functions in a specified manner. The instructions comprise instructions for storing medical data in a database, and instructions for periodically communicating selected medical data between the database and an electronic device to establish a medical data distribution system subsidized by sponsoring entities.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2009
    Assignee: ePocrates, Inc.
    Inventors: Richard Alan Fiedotin, Jeffrey Alan Tangney, Thomas Ho Lee
  • Patent number: 7509264
    Abstract: A system and method for generating and/or updating a personal/individual health record. Inputs of data to the system may come from diverse sources including, but not limited to, patient questionnaires, insurance company (or other payor) claims data, hospitals, clinics and other institutional providers, and individual physicians and physicians' offices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2009
    Inventors: Malik M. Hasan, John C. Peterson, J. Dominic Wallen
  • Patent number: 7505916
    Abstract: A method in a computer system for optimizing allocation of a fixed medical payment to a variety of medical services. The method includes the steps of first selecting a standard rate representing an unadjusted amount of money to be received for the rendering of medical services. Next, the method generates an adjusted standard rate by adjusting the standard rate by at least one adjustment factor. The method then selects a base medical service rate from a plurality of medical service rates. Finally, the method divides the adjusted standard rate by the base medical service rate in order to generate a quantity of medical service points available.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2009
    Assignee: LHC Group, Inc.
    Inventors: Verne Adrian, Marie-Francoise Broussard, William Morris, Keith G. Myers
  • Patent number: 7505917
    Abstract: A method is disclosed by which pharmacies and physicians are encouraged to select appropriate and effective medications but dissuaded from selecting higher priced medications where more economical versions are available as alternatives, but where physicians and patients can also select such higher priced medications if they so choose and are prepared to pay that higher price. Under this system a single representative price (capitation rate) is calculated by a prescription payment plan manager for a group of related medications, usually including both branded and generic, and that price is paid to a pharmacy for all prescriptions of that group of medications fulfilled under the plan. The representative prices for different groups, including their minimum levels, are periodically reviewed and updated as appropriate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2009
    Assignee: Medimpact Healthcare Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Frederick Howe, William J. Barre, Michael W. Lyon
  • Patent number: 7493263
    Abstract: An imaging and workflow method, system, computer readable medium and user interface for processing information efficiently for the processing of medical prescription orders. The system includes support for document scanning, automated rules-based order processing, statistical reporting, document generation and document storage and retrieval. The present invention takes advantage of imaging technology to assist the user in scanning information into the system and software modules to improve the processing of orders. The present invention also includes database tables that identify to application processing logic the types and sequences of actions to be implemented for orders.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2009
    Assignee: Medco Health Solutions, Inc.
    Inventors: Scott M. Helmus, Donna L. Rosen, Leo H. Bressman
  • Patent number: 7493266
    Abstract: The present invention is a system and method for management of consumer services such as health care services which combines new financial structure for health insurance and health benefit plan, payment methods, health plan design, benefit development algorithms, unique procurement methods for health care benefits with and without application to an individual consumer's personal state of health, and is integrated with financial services and asset management products, and benefits for an individual consumer's future medical and/or retirement savings, for healthcare needs. The method and system employs a combination of the defined benefit and defined contribution approaches which combination is referred to herein as “defined-care.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2009
    Inventor: Amit K. Gupta
  • Patent number: 7493264
    Abstract: An interactive computer assisted method compiles comprehensive health care information on patients in a central repository, assesses and analyzes this information, and identifies high utilizers of health care services using a computer and a user associated therewith. The method includes the steps of creating a central repository of various databases containing patient information, including demographic information and behavior, and optionally the results of a core survey of health status questions. The invention optionally involves the step of determining the appropriate core questions and the criteria to determine whether and when to ask certain questions of particular patients based on their response to prior questions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2009
    Assignee: Medco Health Solutions, Inc,
    Inventors: Miriam A. Kelly, Alan M. Lotvin
  • Patent number: 7493265
    Abstract: A computer-implemented system and method for integrating data from a plurality of biomedical development phases. The system and method include a database that stores data collected from the biomedical development phases. The database further includes a metadata data structure that describes the data collected during a biomedical development phase. At least one graphical user interface collects data during the biomedical development phase. The structure of the graphical user interface is defined based at least in part upon the metadata data structure so that the graphical user interface collects data points as well as metadata that is to be stored within the metadata data structure. The metadata describes the collected data points, and at least a portion of the metadata data structure is determined based upon an issue that arises in a subsequent biomedical development phase.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2009
    Assignee: SAS Institute Inc.
    Inventors: Andrew Thomas Fagan, Lauren A. B. Bond, Andrew Joseph Foglia, Martin Francis Michael, Brian Lee Stratton, Peter Alan Villiers
  • Patent number: 7490048
    Abstract: A computer-implemented method, including processing, with a processor, a request by a person or entity to access, obtain, change, alter, or modify, an individual's or patient's healthcare record or file which contains healthcare information or healthcare-related information personal to the individual or patient, generating a message containing information regarding the person or entity and/or identification information regarding the person or entity, and containing an actual change, alteration, or modification, sought to be made or made to the individual's or patient's healthcare record or file, and transmitting the message to a communication device of the individual or patient during, concurrently with, at a same time as, or prior to a completion of, an accessing, obtaining, changing, altering, or modifying, of the individual's or patient's healthcare record or file or a processing of the request.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2009
    Inventor: Raymond Anthony Joao
  • Patent number: 7490049
    Abstract: Computer-assisted methods, systems and mediums for providing, to a physician, information relating to a patient. One embodiment of the present invention is a method that comprises the steps of collecting a prescription history that includes information relating to one or more prescriptions issued to the patient and a prescription purchase history, storing the prescription history and prescription purchase history of the patient into a database, and accessing, by the patient, the database for the stored prescription history and prescription purchase history of the patient. The prescription purchase history includes information relating to one or more prescription purchases made by the patient in accordance with the one or more prescriptions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2009
    Assignee: Medco Health Solutions, Inc.
    Inventors: Ian Michael Miller, Mark J. Halloran, Lynn A. Petersen, Donna T. Whiteford, Dorian King-Cheung Lo, Patrice Bavaro, Anthony J. Schueth
  • Patent number: 7490047
    Abstract: A system for constructing formularies is disclosed. The system includes a central computer system and at least one additional computer. The central computer system compiles a list of various pharmaceutical products and sorts them into different categories based on predetermined relational characteristics. The relational characteristics are based on therapeutic classifications of the pharmaceutical products, which in turn share these relational characteristics. Formularies are then created by selecting individual products and/or categories of products that the formularies would support. When prescription claims are received, coverage is either accepted or denied based on whether the products in die prescription claims are covered by the formulary.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2009
    Assignee: Medco Health Solutions, Inc.
    Inventors: Kenneth J. Brown, William D. Tobin, Glen D. Stettin, Roselin Daniel
  • Patent number: 7490050
    Abstract: A method and system for furnishing an on-line quote for an insurance product, such as auto insurance, makes use of computer hardware and software to provide a user with an on-line, real-time quote. The system allows the user to enter user information and recommends coverages, liabilities, and deductibles to help the user determine the best insurance coverage for the user's needs. Upon entering the user data and coverage information on a presentation server, deployable content profile information is retrieved by the presentation server, and a quote is displayed for the user. If the user indicates a continued interest in the quote, a client number is presented to the user and sent to a computer telephony integration database.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2009
    Assignee: Travelers Property Casualty Corp.
    Inventors: Ruth B. Grover, Donald White, Linda Hirning, Eric Neely, Charlene G. Woronowicz
  • Patent number: 7487102
    Abstract: A process of allowing a patient to have limited input access to their electronic medical record including the steps of forming a basic patient medical record in a computer through entry of information using a keyboard, providing the patient with a machine readable medical questionnaire concerning their history, environment, symptoms, and other pertinent information for answering by the patient, interfacing the machine readable medical questionnaire with a scanner to send the data stream to a microprocessor and converting the patient's answers to a protocol simulating the protocol from a party having authority to export data to the patient's medical record, and transferring the protocol-arranged data into the patient's medical record housed in a database through use of an interface engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2009
    Inventor: Debra Castille
  • Patent number: 7483840
    Abstract: A system and method of generating insurance risk samples and for comparing hypothetical and real insurance premiums of different insurance companies is disclosed. In some embodiments, one or more rating factors are defined and have a plurality of possible values at least partially defining an insurance risk. By generating random numbers that are used to select the values of these parameters, a user can generate sample risks, calculate sample premiums for the risks, and/or compare sample premiums for different types of insurance policies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2009
    Assignee: Atera /Solutions LLC
    Inventors: Michael Frederick Weitermann, Lisa Marie Mrochinski
  • Patent number: 7480622
    Abstract: Accessibility insurance coverage management is provided. An insurance server receives a coverage request from a requestor that includes a user identifier corresponding to a user (i.e. policyholder). The insurance server matches the user identifier with a stored policyholder identifier and retrieves accessibility data corresponding to the matched policyholder identifier. If required, the insurance server updates the policyholder's accessibility data by receiving accessibility data from an accessibility database server. The insurance server identifies the policyholder's coverage using the user's accessibility data along with the user's policy information. The insurance server sends a message to the requestor which indicates an amount of the particular item corresponding to the coverage request the insurance server covers. The insurance server receives accessibility service bills on a frequent basis, such as monthly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 20, 2009
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Rabindranath Dutta, John C. Hartley, Richard Scott Schwerdtfeger
  • Patent number: 7475020
    Abstract: A system and method for generating and/or updating a personal/individual health record. Inputs of data to the system may come from diverse sources including, but not limited to, patient questionnaires, insurance company (or other payor) claims data, hospitals, clinics and other institutional providers, and individual physicians and physicians' offices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2009
    Inventors: Malik M. Hasan, John C. Peterson, J. Dominic Wallen
  • Patent number: 7469215
    Abstract: A method for processing insurance coverage requests. An insurance data processing system (IDPS) receives at least one request from a customer relating to insurance coverage for the customer. Each request independently requests activation or deactivation of the insurance coverage. The requests are ordered in a time sequence if the at least one request includes more than one request. The IDPS verifies, for each request received, that it is permissible for the IDPS to accommodate each request. After each request is verified, the IDPS archives each request in a non-volatile storage medium of the IDPS.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 23, 2008
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Derek Kwan
  • Patent number: 7469214
    Abstract: An inventive process is disclosed for linking credentialing information with a medical malpractice insurance application. The credentialing information is automatically transferred from the credentialing questionnaire to an insurance application, and this credentialing information is then used to generate a medical malpractice insurance policy. The medical malpractice insurance policy is a two year policy, in order to coincide with the required re-credentialing of the healthcare provider. The inventive process also includes linking an information database, not created for insurance purposes, with an insurance application.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 23, 2008
    Assignee: Sinclair Allison, Inc.
    Inventors: David A. Martin, David R. Montgomery
  • Patent number: 7464042
    Abstract: A medical professional monitoring system includes a user interface in communication with a global communications network for use by a medical professional. The system may also include a patient information database, a diagnosis database, a medical treatment database, and a server, each of which are in communication with a global communications network and are accessible by the medical professional. The patient information database includes patient information for a plurality of registered patients. The diagnosis database includes diagnosis information, and the medical treatment database includes medical treatment information. The server may include a recording system to record medical treatments selected by the medical professional, and to track the selected medical treatments for compliance with predetermined standards.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2008
    Inventors: Roberto Beraja, Victor Beraja, Esther Beraja