IP Library Granted Patent US 7,720,701
Granted Patent B2
US 7,720,701 · App. 12/509,579 · Granted May 18, 2010

Automated configuration of medical practice management systems

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,720,701
App. No.
12/509,579
Granted
May 18, 2010
Kind
B2
Abstract

A user (e.g., medical office manager, medical office insurance administrator, doctor) utilizes a medical practice configuration interface (e.g., web page) to input information about the user's medical practice (e.g., address, insurance plans, doctors, hospitals that the doctors utilize). Based on this information and/or rules associated with the insurance plans accepted at the user's medical practice, additional information is requested from the user about the user's medical practice (e.g., information needed for an insurance plan, information needed for a hospital). The user inputs the requested additional information utilizing the medical practice configuration interface. Configuration information for the user's medical practice is generated based on the information and/or the additional information inputted by the user. A user interface (e.g., web pages interfacing with the medical practice management server) and/or rules for the medical practice can be generated based on the configuration information.

Claims (40)

1. A method for automated computerized configuration of a medical practice management system, the method comprising:

receiving, by a computerized medical practice management server, first information associated with a medical practice prior to configuring the medical practice to use the medical practice management system to process medical claims, wherein the first information includes information about the medical practice;

associating, by the computerized medical practice management server, one or more payor servers with the medical practice based on the first information;

generating, by the computerized medical practice management server, a request for second information that is required to configure the medical practice management system to process medical claims for patients of the medical practice, the request being based on (a) the first information and (b) one or more insurance rules stored in an insurance rules database that apply to one or more payor servers, wherein the one or more insurance rules apply to the one or more payor servers associated with the medical practice;

in response to the request, receiving, by the computerized medical practice management server, second information which comprises information indicative of requirements for submission of medical claims to the one or more payor servers;

generating, by the computerized medical practice management server, configuration information for the medical practice management system based on the first information and the second information, wherein the configuration information is used by the medical practice management server to ensure that medical claims transmitted from the medical practice satisfy the requirements of the one or more payor servers before the medical claims are transmitted to a payor server for payment; and

configuring, by the computerized medical practice management server, the medical practice management system for use by one or more users at the medical practice based on the configuration information so that the medical practice management system can process medical claims transmitted from the one or more users at the medical practice.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising dynamically generating a user interface for one or more users of the medical practice based on the configuration information, the user interface comprising one or more fields including information from the configuration information.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising updating stored configuration information for the medical practice stored in a medical practice information database with the configuration information.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining whether to request additional information based on the first information, the second information, and the one or more insurance rules;

generating a request for additional information based on the first information, the second information, and the one or more insurance rules;

receiving additional information, which comprises information indicative of requirements for submission of medical claims to the one or more payor servers, based on the request for additional information; and

generating configuration information for the medical practice management system based on the first information, the second information, and the additional information, wherein the configuration information is used by the medical practice management server to ensure that medical claims transmitted from the medical practice satisfy the requirements of the one or more payor servers before the medical claims are transmitted to a payor server for payment.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the configuration information comprises medical claim processing information, medical claim information utilized to generate medical claims for submission to one or more payor server, or both, the method further comprising:

generating one or more rules for the medical practice management system based on the configuration information; and

storing the one or more rules in the insurance rules database.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining one or more errors are associated with the first information, second information, or both based on one or more rules associated with one or more payor servers;

generating a request for correct information; and

receiving correct information based on the request for correct information.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising selecting third information for submission to a payor server based on the configuration information.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising formatting the third information for submission to the payor server based on the configuration information.

9. A computer program product, tangibly embodied in a machine readable storage device, the computer program product including instructions being operable to cause a data processing apparatus to:

receive first information associated with a medical practice prior to configuring the medical practice to use the medical practice management system to process medical claims, wherein the first information includes information about the medical practice;

associate one or more payor servers with the medical practice based on the first information;

generate a request for second information that is required to configure the medical practice management system to process medical claims for patients of the medical practice, the request being based on (a) the first information and (b) one or more insurance rules stored in an insurance rules database that apply to one or more payor servers, wherein the one or more insurance rules apply to the one or more payor servers associated with the medical practice;

in response to the request, receive second information which comprises information indicative of requirements for submission of medical claims to the one or more payor servers;

generate configuration information for the medical practice management system based on the first information and the second information, wherein the configuration information is used by the medical practice management server to ensure that medical claims transmitted from the medical practice satisfy the requirements of the one or more payor servers before the medical claims are transmitted to a payor server for payment; and

configure the medical practice management system for use by one or more users at the medical practice based on the configuration information so that the medical practice management system can process medical claims transmitted from the one or more users at the medical practice.

10. An apparatus for automated computerized configuration of a medical practice management system, the system comprising:

a medical practice module configured to:

receive first information associated with a medical practice prior to configuring the medical practice to use the medical practice management system to process medical claims, wherein the first information includes information about the medical practice;

receive second information, which comprises information indicative of requirements for submission of medical claims to one or more payor servers, based on a request; and

configure the medical practice management system for use by one or more users at the medical practice based on the configuration information so that the medical practice management system can process medical claims transmitted from the one or more users at the medical practice;

a server configuration module in communication with the medical practice module configured to:

associate one or more payor servers with the medical practice based on the first information;

generate the request for the second information that is required to configure the medical practice management system to process medical claims for patients of the medical practice, the request being based on (a) the first information and (b) one or more insurance rules that apply to the one or more payor servers, wherein the one or more insurance rules apply to the one or more payor servers associated with the medical practice; and

generate configuration information for the medical practice management system based on the first information and the second information, wherein the configuration information is used by the medical practice management server to ensure that medical claims transmitted from the medical practice satisfy the requirements of the one or more payor servers before the medical claims are transmitted to a payor server for payment; and

an insurance rules database in communication with the server configuration module configured to store the one or more insurance rules.

Assignments (8)
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jul 31, 2026
From: ATHENAHEALTH, INC.; PRAXIFY TECHNOLOGIES, INC.; VVC HOLDING LLC
To: WILMINGTON TRUST, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 075490/0079 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Feb 15, 2022
From: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.
To: VVC HOLDING LLC (F/K/A VVC HOLDING CORP.); ATHENAHEALTH, INC.; EPOCRATES, LLC; PRAXIFY TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
Reel/Frame 059111/0757 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Feb 15, 2022
From: ATHENAHEALTH, INC.; VVC HOLDING LLC; EPOCRATES, LLC; PRAXIFY TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 059016/0774 →
RELEASE OF SECOND LIEN SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Feb 12, 2021
From: ARES CAPITAL CORPORATION
To: VVC HOLDING CORP.; ATHENAHEALTH, INC.; EPOCRATES, LLC; PRAXIFY TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
Reel/Frame 055291/0421 →
SECOND LIEN SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Feb 12, 2019
From: VVC HOLDING CORP.; ATHENAHEALTH, INC.; EPOCRATES, LLC; PRAXIFY TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
To: ARES CAPITAL CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 048304/0161 →
FIRST LIEN SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Feb 11, 2019
From: VVC HOLDING CORP.; ATHENAHEALTH, INC.; EPOCRATES, LLC; PRAXIFY TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.
Reel/Frame 048301/0890 →
TERMINATION AND RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY Recorded Oct 19, 2011
From: BANK OF BOSTON, N.A.
To: ATHENAHEALTH, INC.
Reel/Frame 027086/0240 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 6, 2009
From: RICHARDS, BRADY; MULLIN, LAURIE
To: ATHENAHEALTH, INC.
Reel/Frame 023063/0167 →