`Response to 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 amount equal
`
`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 explanationof 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.
`
`2.
`
`(original) A methodoffacilitating paymentof 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 agreedto pay the health
`
`care provider on behalf of a patient subject to preselected conditions;
`
`identifying an administrator that determines whether the medical services
`
`conductedby the service provider meetthe preselected conditions by the
`
`payer, generates an explanation of benefits, and authorizes paymentof the
`
`service provider for 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 andloadingit with
`
`funds equal to the authorized amount; mergingthe 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
`
`Page 2 of 9
`
`
`
`Serial No. 13/358,620
`Response to Action Dated May 18, 2012
`
`Attorney Docket No.: 1516.15.RE
`Examiner Hiep V. Nguyen
`
`transmitting the imagefile to the health care provider via a computer-
`
`implemented transmission.
`
`3.
`
`(original) The method of claim 2 wherein the imagefile is transmitted byfax.
`
`4.
`
`(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.
`
`5.
`
`(original) The method of claim 2 wherein the stored-value card account number is
`
`chargeable only through a medical services terminal.
`
`6.
`
`(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 amount equal
`
`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 explanationof benefits;
`
`transmitting the image file by a computer-implemented electronic
`
`transmission medium selected from the group consisting of fax, SMTP, SMS,
`
`MMS, HTTP, HTTPS, and FTP to the health care provider wherein the
`
`electronic transmission includes a computer-generated imageof a physical
`
`card; and
`
`reconciling the charged card accountto confirm that the health care provider
`
`has received payment.
`
`Page 3 of 9
`
`
`
`Serial No. 13/358,620
`Response to Action Dated May 18, 2012
`
`Attorney Docket No.: 1516.15.RE
`Examiner Hiep V. Nguyen
`
`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:
`loading a unique, stored-value card account By
` an amountequalto a single, a
`generating an explanation of benefits associated with the payment;
`
`creating a computer-generated file containing the stored-value card account
`
` number,the ac
`nt amount, a card verification value
`
`code, an expiration date, and the explanation of benefitsiy
`
`ters; and
`
`transmitting the file by
`
`s.to the health care provider.
`
`8.
`
`(previously presented) The method of claim 7 further comprising the step of
`
`reconciling the charged card accountto confirm that the health care provider has
`
`received payment.
`
`9.
`
`(previously presented) The method ofclaim 7 further comprising the step of
`
`providing a computer-generated imageof a physical card in the transmittedfile.
`
`10. (previously presented) The methodof claim 7 wherein the transmittedfile is sent by
`
`computer-implementedelectronic 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
`
`payment termsand an explanation of benefits, the system comprising:
`
`an explanation of benefits describing medical services providedto a patient
`
`by a health care provider, an amountbilled by the health care provider and
`
`Page 4 of 9
`
`
`
`Serial No. 13/358,620
`Response to Action Dated May 18, 2012
`
`Attorney Docket No.: 1516.15.RE
`Examiner Hiep V. Nguyen
`
`an amountpaid by thepatient’s insurance company; and
`
`a payment mechanism associated with the explanation of benefits, the
`
`a stored-value card account number,
`
`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.
`
`15. (previously presented) The system of claim 12 wherein the electronically
`
`transmitted documentis sent by computer-implemented electronic transmission
`
`medium selected from the groupconsisting 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.
`
`Page 5 of 9
`
`
`
`Serial No. 13/358,620
`Response to Action Dated May 18, 2012
`
`Attorney Docket No.: 1516.15.RE
`Examiner Hiep V. Nguyen
`
`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 fundsfor
`
`payment;
`
`funding a unique, stored-value card account with an amount equal to the
`
` e-payment.
`
`merging the explanation of benefits with the stored-value card account
`
` <-amountof payment, a card
`
`verification value code, and an expiration date in an electronic file by.
`
`
`
`electronically sending the merged file to the health care provider as payment
`qt
`for the services by 8
`
`18. (previously presented) The methodof claim 17 wherein the charged card accountis
`
`reconciled to confirm that the health care provider has received payment.
`
`19. (previously presented) The methodof 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-implementedelectronic transmission medium selected from the group
`
`consisting of fax, SMTP, SMS, MMS, HTTP, HTTPS, and FTP.
`
`Page 6 of 9
`
`
`
`Serial No. 13/358,620
`Response to Action Dated May 18, 2012
`
`Attorney Docket No.: 1516.15.RE
`Examiner Hiep V. Nguyen
`
`21. (previously presented) The method of claim 17 wherein the stored-value card
`
`accountis only chargeable through a medical services terminal.
`
`22. (currently amended) A system for paymentof health care benefits to a health care
`
`provider, the system comprising:
`
`an administration system operable to receive a benefit claim the health care
`
`provider andto generate an explanation of benefits for the benefit claim
`
`along with an approved payment; and
`
`a card processing system operable to fund a stored-value card account with
`
` an amountequal to the approved payment.&
`
`card processing system also operable to merge the explanation of benefits
`
`
`
`with the stored-value card account numberByoneor s, the
`
`
`
`{amountof payment, a card verification value code,
`
`andan expiration date in an electronic file and to sendthe electronicfile to
`3
`aNe
`
`the health care provider as paymentfor 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 electronicfile.
`
`25. (previously presented) The system of claim 22 wherein the electronicfile is sent by
`
`computer-implementedelectronic transmission medium selected from the group
`
`consisting of fax, SMTP, SMS, MMS, HTTP, HTTPS, and FTP.
`
`Page 7 of 9
`
`
`
`Serial No. 13/358,620
`Response to Action Dated May 18, 2012
`
`Attorney Docket No.: 1516.15.RE
`Examiner Hiep V. Nguyen
`
`26. (previously presented) The system of claim 22 wherein the stored-value card
`
`accountis only chargeable through a medical services terminal.
`
`Page 8 of 9
`
`