Patents by Inventor Benjamin E. Slen

Benjamin E. Slen has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 8265956
    Abstract: A method for providing insurance coverage to a subscriber comprises offering an insurance policy to the subscriber wherein the insurance policy comprises providing allowances to pay for one or more expenses covered by the insurance policy and providing monetary credits to the subscriber for any unused portion of a given allowance where the monetary credits can be used to cover the cost of a subsequent allowed expense. The insurance policy may be a pharmacy benefits plan. The covered expenses may be pharmacy expenses. The allowed expenses may be medical expenses which qualify under Section 213 of the US Internal Revenue Code for payment by an employer without the subscriber having to declare the payment as taxable income.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2012
    Assignee: Humana Inc.
    Inventors: Benjamin E. Slen, Cullen L. Reed, Elizabeth D. Bierbower, Maureen M. Kinser, Jonathan T. Lord, Sandra L. Bartel
  • Publication number: 20120158427
    Abstract: A method for providing insurance coverage to a subscriber comprises offering an insurance policy to the subscriber wherein the insurance policy comprises providing allowances to pay for one or more expenses covered by the insurance policy and providing monetary credits to the subscriber for any unused portion of a given allowance where the monetary credits can be used to cover the cost of a subsequent allowed expense. The insurance policy may be a pharmacy benefits plan. The covered expenses may be pharmacy expenses. The allowed expenses may be medical expenses which qualify under Section 213 of the US Internal Revenue Code for payment by an employer without the subscriber having to declare the payment as taxable income.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2012
    Publication date: June 21, 2012
    Applicant: HUMANA INC.
    Inventors: Benjamin E. Slen, Cullen L. Reed, Elizabeth D. Bierbower, Maureen M. Kinser, Jonathan T. Lord, Sandra L. Bartel
  • Patent number: 8126737
    Abstract: A method for providing insurance coverage to a subscriber comprises offering an insurance policy to the subscriber wherein the insurance policy comprises providing allowances to pay for one or more expenses covered by the insurance policy and providing monetary credits to the subscriber for any unused portion of a given allowance where the monetary credits can be used to cover the cost of a subsequent allowed expense. The insurance policy may be a pharmacy benefits plan. The covered expenses may be pharmacy expenses. The allowed expenses may be medical expenses which qualify under Section 213 of the US Internal Revenue Code for payment by an employer without the subscriber having to declare the payment as taxable income.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2012
    Assignee: Humana Inc.
    Inventors: Benjamin E. Slen, Cullen L. Reed, Elizabeth D. Bierbower, Maureen M. Kinser, Jonathan T. Lord, Sandra L. Bartel
  • Publication number: 20110153353
    Abstract: A method for providing insurance coverage to a subscriber comprises offering an insurance policy to the subscriber wherein the insurance policy comprises providing allowances to pay for one or more expenses covered by the insurance policy and providing monetary credits to the subscriber for any unused portion of a given allowance where the monetary credits can be used to cover the cost of a subsequent allowed expense. The insurance policy may be a pharmacy benefits plan. The covered expenses may be pharmacy expenses. The allowed expenses may be medical expenses which qualify under Section 213 of the US Internal Revenue Code for payment by an employer without the subscriber having to declare the payment as taxable income.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 16, 2011
    Publication date: June 23, 2011
    Applicant: HUMANA INC.
    Inventors: Benjamin E. Slen, Cullen L. Reed, Elizabeth D. Bierbower, Maureen M. Kinser, Jonathan T. Lord, Sandra L. Bartel
  • Patent number: 7895054
    Abstract: A method for providing insurance coverage to a subscriber comprises offering an insurance policy to said subscriber wherein said insurance policy comprises providing allowances to pay for one or more expenses covered by said insurance policy and providing monetary credits to said subscriber for any unused portion of a given allowance where said monetary credits can be used to cover the cost of a subsequent allowed expense. The insurance policy may be a pharmacy benefits plan. The covered expenses may be pharmacy expenses. The allowed expenses may be medical expenses which qualify under section 213 of the US Internal Revenue code for payment by an employer without said subscriber having to declare said payment as taxable income.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2011
    Assignee: Humana Inc.
    Inventors: Benjamin E. Slen, Cullen L. Reed, Elizabeth D. Bierbower, Maureen M. Kinser, Jonathan T. Lord, Sandra L. Bartel
  • Patent number: 7783501
    Abstract: A method of transaction approval and substantiation employing accumulator logic for medical, dental, and vision claims. For example, a health care plan member may utilize an electronic payment card to pay for various health care related expenses where that electronic payment card is deducting from that member's flexible spending account, health reimbursement arrangement, or other such accounts. For substantiation of a card transaction, in addition to copay matching, paid claim matching, and recurring transaction matching for medical, dental, and vision claims, the method of the current invention further employs accumulator logic processing where the transaction is substantiated if the card swipe amount for that transaction is less than or equal to the sum in an accumulator for the previously paid claims in the appropriate medical, dental, or vision claim area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2010
    Assignee: Humana Inc.
    Inventors: Benjamin E. Slen, Lois E. Gargotto, Lisa M. Van Den Plas, Carol J. Baker, Kyle M. Burns
  • Publication number: 20080156868
    Abstract: A method of transaction approval and substantiation employing accumulator logic for medical, dental, and vision claims. For example, a health care plan member may utilize an electronic payment card to pay for various health care related expenses where that electronic payment card is deducting from that member's flexible spending account, health reimbursement arrangement, or other such accounts. For substantiation of a card transaction, in addition to copay matching, paid claim matching, and recurring transaction matching for medical, dental, and vision claims, the method of the current invention further employs accumulator logic processing where the transaction is substantiated if the card swipe amount for that transaction is less than or equal to the sum in an accumulator for the previously paid claims in the appropriate medical, dental, or vision claim area.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 27, 2006
    Publication date: July 3, 2008
    Inventors: Benjamin E. Slen, Lois E. Gargotto, Lisa M. Van Den Plas, Carol J. Baker, Kyle M. Burns