Reissue App. For U.S. Pat. No. 7,792,686
`
`Attorney Docket No.: 1516.15
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`Amendments to the Claims:
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`Please add claims 7-26 as follows:
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`1.
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`(original) A methodoffacilitating payment of adjudicated health care benefits to a health
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`care provider on behalf of a payer comprising the steps of: loading a unique, single-use,
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`stored-value card account with an amount equalto a single, authorized benefit payment,
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`the card account only chargeable through a medical services terminal; generating an
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`explanation of benefits associated with the payment; creating a computer-generated
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`image file containing the stored-value card account number, the amount, a card
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`verification value code, an expiration date, and the explanation of benefits; transmitting
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`the imagefile by fax to the health care provider; and reconciling the charged card account
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`to confirm that the health care provider has received payment.
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`(original) A methodoffacilitating payment of adjudicated health care benefits to a health
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`care provider comprising: identifying the health care provider that renders medical
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`services in anticipation of payment; identifying a payer that has agreed to pay the health
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`care provider on behalf of a patient subject to preselected conditions; identifying an
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`administrator that determines whether the medical services conducted by the service
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`provider meet the preselected conditions by the payer, generates an explanation of
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`benefits, and authorizes paymentof the service provider for an authorized amount;
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`intercepting the explanation of benefits and payment information transmitted from the
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`administrator to the health care provider; acquiring a single-use, stored-value card
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`account number and loading it with funds equal to the authorized amount; merging the
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`stored-value card account number, the authorized amount, a card verification value code,
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`and an expiration date with the explanation of benefits into a computer-generated image
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`file; and transmitting the imagefile to the health care provider via a computer-
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`implemented transmission.
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`(original) The method of claim 2 wherein the imagefile is transmitted by fax.
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`Page 3 of 9
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`Reissue App. For U.S. Pat. No. 7,792,686
`
`Attorney Docket No.: 1516.15
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`4.
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`(original) The method of claim 2 further comprising the step of reconciling the charge
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`incurred against the stored-value card account numberto confirm the health care provider
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`has been paid for the services approved by the administrator.
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`5.
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`(original) The method of claim 2 wherein the stored-value card account numberis
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`chargeable only through a medical services terminal.
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`6.
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`(original) A methodoffacilitating payment of adjudicated health care benefits to a health
`
`care provider on behalf of a payer comprising the steps of: loading a unique, single-use,
`
`stored-value card account with an amount equalto a single, authorized benefit payment,
`
`the card account only chargeable through a medical services terminal; generating an
`
`explanation of benefits associated with the payment; creating a computer-generated
`
`image file containing the stored-value card account number, the amount, a card
`
`verification value code, an expiration date, and the explanation of benefits; transmitting
`
`the imagefile by a computer-implementedelectronic transmission medium selected from
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`the group consisting of fax, SMTP, SMS, MMS, HTTP, HTTPS, and FTPto the health
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`care provider wherein the electronic transmission includes a computer-generated image
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`of a physical card; and reconciling the charged card accountto confirm that the health
`
`care provider has received payment.
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`7.
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`(new) A method offacilitating payment of adjudicated health care benefits to a health
`
`care provider on behalf of a payer comprising the steps of: loading a unique, single-use,
`
`stored-value card account with an amount equalto a single, authorized benefit payment,
`
`generating an explanation of benefits associated with the payment; creating a computer-
`
`generated file containing the stored-value card account number, the amount, a card
`
`verification value code, an expiration date, and the explanation of benefits; and
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`transmitting the file to the health care provider.
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`8.
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`(new) The method of claim 7 further comprising the step of reconciling the charged card
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`account to confirm that the health care provider has received payment.
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`Page 4 of 9
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`Reissue App. For U.S. Pat. No. 7,792,686
`
`Attorney Docket No.: 1516.15
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`9.
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`(new) The method of claim 7 further comprising the step of providing a computer-
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`generated image of a physical card in the transmittedfile.
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`10.
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`(new) The method of claim 7 wherein the transmitted file is sent by computer-
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`implemented electronic transmission medium selected from the group consisting of fax,
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`SMTP, SMS, MMS, HTTP, HTTPS, and FTP.
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`11.
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`(new) The method of claim 7 wherein the stored-value card accountis only chargeable
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`through a medical services terminal.
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`12.
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`(new) A system for paymentof health care benefits combining payment terms and an
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`explanation of benefits, the system comprising:
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`an explanation of benefits describing medical services providedto a patient by a health
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`care provider, an amountbilled by the health care provider and an amountpaid by the
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`patient’s insurance company; and
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`a payment mechanism associated with the explanation of benefits, the payment
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`mechanism including a stored-value card account number, a payment amount, a card
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`verification value code, and an expiration date;
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`wherein the stored-value card account numberis linked to a unique, single-use, stored-
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`value card account prefunded with an amount equalto a single, authorized benefit
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`payment, and wherein the documentis electronically transmitted to the health care
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`provider as paymentfor the medicalservices.
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`13.
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`(new) The system of claim 12 wherein the charged card accountis reconciled to confirm
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`that the health care provider has received payment.
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`14.
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`(new) The system of claim 12 wherein a computer-generated image of a physical card is
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`providedin the electronically transmitted document.
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`Page 5 of 9
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`Reissue App. For U.S. Pat. No. 7,792,686
`
`Attorney Docket No.: 1516.15
`
`15.
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`(new) The system of claim 12 wherein the electronically transmitted documentis sent by
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`computer-implementedelectronic transmission medium selected from the group
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`consisting of fax, SMTP, SMS, MMS, HTTP, HTTPS, and FTP.
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`16.
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`(new) The system of claim 12 wherein the stored-value card account is only chargeable
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`through a medical services terminal.
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`17.
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`(new) A computer implemented method for combining paymentof health care benefits
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`with an associated explanation of benefits, the method comprising:
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`receiving an explanation of benefits related to medical services provided by a health care
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`provider;
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`receiving authorization to pay at least a portion of submitted charges associated with the
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`explanation of benefits and the associated funds for payment;
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`funding a unique, single-use, stored-value card account with an amount equal to the
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`authorized payment;
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`merging the explanation of benefits with the stored-value card account number, the
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`authorized amount of payment, a card verification value code, and an expiration date in
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`an electronic file;
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`electronically sending the mergedfile to the health care provider as payment for the
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`services.
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`18.
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`(new) The method of claim 17 wherein the charged card accountis reconciled to confirm
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`that the health care provider has received payment.
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`19.
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`(new) The method of claim 17 wherein a computer-generated image of a physical card is
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`provided in the mergedfile.
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`Page 6 of 9
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`Reissue App. For U.S. Pat. No. 7,792,686
`
`Attorney Docket No.: 1516.15
`
`20.
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`(new) The method of claim 17 wherein the mergedfile is sent by computer-implemented
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`electronic transmission medium selected from the group consisting of fax, SMTP, SMS,
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`MMS, HTTP, HTTPS, and FTP.
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`21.
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`(new) The method of claim 17 wherein the stored-value card accountis only chargeable
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`through a medical services terminal.
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`22.
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`(new) A system for paymentof health care benefits to a health care provider, the system
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`comprising:
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`an administration system operable to receive a benefit claim the health care provider and
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`to generate an explanation of benefits for the benefit claim along with an approved
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`payment;
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`a card processing system operable to fund a single-use, stored-value card account with an
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`amount equal to the approved payment, the card processing system also operable to
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`merge the explanation of benefits with the stored-value card account number, the
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`authorized amount of payment, a card verification value code, and an expiration date in
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`an electronic file and to send the electronic file to the health care provider as payment for
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`the benefit claim.
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`23.
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`(new) The system of claim 22 wherein the charged card accountis reconciled to confirm
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`that the health care provider has received payment.
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`24.
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`(new) The system of claim 22 wherein a computer-generated image of a physical card is
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`providedin the electronicfile.
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`25.
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`(new) The system of claim 22 wherein the electronic file is sent by computer-
`
`implementedelectronic transmission medium selected from the group consisting of fax,
`
`SMTP, SMS, MMS, HTTP, HTTPS, and FTP.
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`Page 7 of 9
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`Reissue App. For U.S. Pat. No. 7,792,686
`
`Attorney Docket No.: 1516.15
`
`26. (new) The system of claim 22 wherein the stored-value card accountis only chargeable
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`through a medical services terminal.
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`Page 8 of 9
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