Serial No. 13/358,620
`Responseto Action Dated May 18, 2012
`
`Attorney Docket No.: 1516.15.RE
`Examiner Hiep V. Nguyen
`
`Amendments to the Claims:
`
`1.
`
`(original) A methodof facilitating 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 amountequal to 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 imagefile 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 fax to the health care provider; and
`
`reconciling the charged card accountto confirm that the health care provider has
`received payment.
`
`(original) A methodoffacilitating payment of adjudicated health care benefits to a
`health care provider comprising:
`
`identifying the health care provider that renders medical services in anticipation of
`payment; identifying a payer that has agreed to pay the health care provider on
`behalf of a patient subject to preselected conditions;
`
`identifying an administrator that determines whether the medical services
`conductedbythe service provider meetthe preselected conditions by the payer,
`generates an explanation of benefits, and authorizes paymentof the service
`providerfor an authorized amount;
`
`intercepting the explanation of benefits and payment information transmitted from
`the administrator to the health care provider;
`
`acquiring a single-use, stored-value card account number andloading it with funds
`equal to the authorized amount; merging the stored-value card account number, the
`authorized amount, a card verification value code, and an expiration date with the
`explanation of benefits into a computer-generated imagefile; and
`
`transmitting the imagefile to the health care provider via a computer-implemented
`transmission.
`
`

`

`Serial No. 13/358,620
`Responseto Action Dated May 18, 2012
`
`Attorney Docket No.: 1516.15.RE
`Examiner Hiep V. Nguyen
`
`3.
`
`4.
`
`5.
`
`6.
`
`(original) The method of claim 2 wherein the imagefile is transmitted byfax.
`
`(original) The methodof claim 2 further comprising the step of reconciling the
`charge incurredagainstthe stored-value card account numberto confirm the health
`care provider has beenpaid for the services approved by the administrator.
`
`(original) The method of claim 2 wherein the stored-value card account number is
`chargeable only through a medical services terminal.
`
`(original) A methodoffacilitating paymentof adjudicated health care benefits to a
`health care provider on behalf of a payer comprising the stepsof:
`
`loading a unique, single-use, stored-value card account with an amountequal to 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 imagefile containing the stored-value card account
`number, the amount, a card verification value code, an expiration date, and the
`explanation of benefits;
`
`transmitting the image file by a computer-implemented electronic transmission
`medium selected from the groupconsisting of fax, SMTP, SMS, MMS, HTTP, HTTPS,
`and FTP to the health care provider wherein the electronic transmission includes a
`computer-generated image of a physical card; and
`
`reconciling the charged card accountto confirm that the health care provider has
`received payment.
`
`7.
`
`(currently amended) A method of facilitating payment of adjudicated health care
`benefits to a health care provider on behalf of a payer comprising the steps of:
`
`x
`
`-stored-value card account} loading a unique, $8
`
`with an amount equalto a single, aux 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
`"Sg
`explanation of benefits by saic_ one or
`more
`con
`
` transmitting the file by
`
`

`

`Serial No. 13/358,620
`Responseto Action Dated May 18, 2012
`
`Attorney Docket No.: 1516.15.RE
`Examiner Hiep V. Nguyen
`
`8.
`
`9.
`
`(previously presented) The method of claim 7 further comprising the step of
`reconciling the charged card account to confirm that the health care provider has
`received payment.
`
`(previously presented) The method ofclaim 7 further comprising the step of
`providing a computer-generated image of a physical card in the transmittedfile.
`
`10. (previously presented) The methodof claim 7 wherein the transmittedfile is sent by
`computer-implemented electronic transmission medium selected from the group
`consisting of fax, SMTP, SMS, MMS, HTTP, HTTPS, and FTP.
`
`11. (previously presented) The methodof claim 7 wherein the stored-value card
`accountis only chargeable through a medical services terminal.
`
`12. (currently amended) A system for paymentof health care benefits combining
`paymentterms and an explanation of benefits, the system comprising:
`
`an explanation of benefits describing medical services provided to a patient bya
`
`health care provider, an amountbilled by the health care provider and an amount
`
`paid by the patient's insurance company: and
`
`a payment mechanism associated with the explanation of benefits, the payment
`
`mechanism
`
`SS
`
`3 a stored-value card account number, a payment
`
`amount, a card verification value code, and an expiration date y
`
`
`
`
`
`wherein the stored-value card account numberis linked to a unique, single-use,
`
`stored-value card account prefunded with an amountequalto a single, a;
`
`
`
`
`2c]benefit payment, and wherein the documentis electronically
`
`transmitted to the health care provider as paymentfor the medical services &
`
`
`
`
`
`13. (previously presented) The system of claim 12 wherein the charged card accountis
`
`reconciled to confirm that the health care provider has received payment.
`
`14. (previously presented) The system of claim 12 wherein a computer-generated image of a
`
`physical card is provided in the electronically transmitted document.
`
`

`

`Serial No. 13/358,620
`Responseto Action Dated May 18, 2012
`
`Attorney Docket No.: 1516.15.RE
`Examiner Hiep V. Nguyen
`
`15.
`
`(previously presented) The system of claim 12 wherein the electronically transmitted
`
`documentis sent by computer-implemented electronic transmission medium selected
`
`from the group consisting of fax, SMTP, SMS, MMS, HTTP, HTTPS, and FTP.
`
`16.
`
`(previously presented) The system of claim 12 wherein the stored-value card accountis
`
`only chargeable through a medical services terminal.
`
`17.
`
`(currently amended) A computer implemented method for combining paymentof health
`care benefits with an associated explanation of benefits, the method comprising:
`
`receiving an explanation of benefits related to medical services provided by a health
`care provider;
`
`receiving authorization to pay at least a portion of submitted charges associated
`
`with the explanation of benefits and the associated funds for payment:
`
`funding a unique, si
`se,stored-value card account with an amount equalto the
`
`
`
`merging the explanation of benefits with the stored-value card account number,the
`
`
`
`| amountof payment, a card verification value code, and an
`
`expiration date in an electronicfile bysaid
`t
`
`
`electronically sending the merged file to the health care provider as paymentfor the
`~
`servicesbysai
`
`18.
`
`(previously presented) The method of claim 17 wherein the charged card accountis
`
`reconciled to confirm that the health care provider has received payment.
`
`19.
`
`(previously presented) The method of claim 17 wherein a computer-generated image of a
`
`physical card is provided in the mergedfile.
`
`20.
`
`(previously presented) The method of claim 17 wherein the mergedfile is sent by
`
`computer-implemented electronic transmission medium selected from the group
`
`consisting of fax, SMTP, SMS, MMS, HTTP, HTTPS, and FTP.
`
`21.
`
`(previously presented) The method of claim 17 wherein the stored-value card accountis
`
`only chargeable through a medical services terminal.
`
`

`

`Serial No. 13/358,620
`Responseto Action Dated May 18, 2012
`
`Attorney Docket No.: 1516.15.RE
`Examiner Hiep V. Nguyen
`
`22. (currently amended) A system for payment of health care benefits to a health care
`
`provider, the system comprising:
`
`an administration system operable to receive a benefit claim the health care provider and
`
`to generate an explanation of benefits for the benefit claim along with an approved
`
`3
`
`payment; and
`
`
`a card processing system operable to fund a s#
`~stored-value card account with an
`
` amount equal to the approved paymentbyone ar more computers, the card processing
`
`system also operable to merge the explanation of benefits with the stored-value card
`
`d amount of
`account number § morecoms,thesxJ one or
`
`
`
`payment, a card verification value code, and an expiration date in an electronic file and to
`
`send the electronic file to the health care provider as payment for the benefit claimby
`
`
`
`23. (previously presented) The system of claim 22 wherein the charged card accountis
`
`reconciled to confirm that the health care provider has received payment.
`
`24. (previously presented) The system of claim 22 wherein a computer-generated image of a
`
`physical card is provided in the electronic file.
`
`25. (previously presented) The system of claim 22 wherein the electronic file is sent by
`
`computer-implemented electronic transmission medium selected from the group
`
`consisting of fax, SMTP, SMS, MMS, HTTP, HTTPS, and FTP.
`
`26. (previously presented) The system of claim 22 wherein the stored-value card accountis
`
`only chargeable through a medical services terminal.
`
`