IP Library Granted Patent US 8,521,557
Granted Patent B1
US 8,521,557 · App. 12/982,395 · Granted Aug 27, 2013

System and methods for processing rejected healthcare claim transactions for over-the-counter products

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,521,557
App. No.
12/982,395
Granted
Aug 27, 2013
Kind
B1
Abstract

Systems and methods for processing rejected healthcare claim transactions for over-the-counter (“OTC”) products are provided. A healthcare claim transaction associated with a product requested by a customer may be received from a healthcare provider computer. The healthcare claim transaction may be communicated to a claims processor for adjudication, and a denied claim response for the healthcare claim transaction may be received from the claims processor. Based at least in part upon a classification of the product, the denied claim response may be converted to an approved claim response, and the approved claim response may be communicated to the healthcare provider computer. In certain embodiments, the above operations may be performed by one or more computers associated with a service provider.

Claims (68)

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

receiving, at a service provider computer from a healthcare provider computer, a healthcare claim transaction associated with a product requested by a customer;

communicating, by the service provider computer, the healthcare claim transaction from the service provider computer to a claims processor for adjudication;

receiving, at the service provider computer from the claims processor, an adjudicated denied claim response for the healthcare claim transaction, wherein the adjudicated denied claim response indicates denial of any financial coverage for the healthcare claim transaction and wherein the adjudicated denied claim response is not transmitted to the healthcare provider computer;

determining, by the service provider computer, a classification of the product requested by the customer, wherein the classification identifies the product as an over-the-counter product;

converting, at the service provider computer, based at least in part upon the determined classification of the product, the denied claim response from the claims processor to an approved claim response, the approved claim response indicating approval of at least a portion of a price of the requested product; and

communicating, by the service provider computer, the approved claim response from the service provider computer to the healthcare provider computer.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein converting the denied claim response comprises:

determining that the healthcare claim transaction was denied based at least in part on the over-the-counter product not being covered by the claims processor; and

converting the denied claim response at the service provider computer based at least in part on the determination.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2 , wherein determining that the healthcare claim transaction was denied based at least in part on the product being an over-the-counter product not covered by the claims processor comprises:

identifying a rejection message included in the received response; and

determining, based at least in part upon the identified rejection message, that the healthcare claim transaction was denied based at least in part on the over-the-counter product not being covered by the claims processor.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein determining the classification of the product requested by the customer comprises:

identifying a product identifier associated with the product;

determining, based at least in part upon the product identifier, the classification of the product; and

determining that the classification identifies the product as the over-the-counter product.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:

calculating at the service provider computer a price for the product requested by the customer; and

modifying the approved claim response at the service provider computer to include the calculated price.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5 , wherein calculating a price for the product requested by the customer comprises:

identifying one or more pricing parameters for the product;

determining a quantity associated with the product; and

calculating, at the service provider computer, the price based at least in part upon the identified one or more pricing parameters and the determined quantity.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 6 , wherein identifying one or more pricing parameters comprises obtaining, with the service provider computer, pricing information from an external data source.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 5 , wherein calculating a price further comprises:

identifying a discount available for the product requested by the customer; and

calculating the price for the product requested by the customer based at least in part upon the identified discount.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 5 , wherein calculating a price further comprises:

determining that funding is available to cover at least a portion of the price of the product requested by the customer; and

calculating the price for the product requested by the customer based at least in part upon the determination that funding is available.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:

storing a financial record associated with the conversion by the service provider computer of the denied claim response to the approved claim response.

11. A system, comprising:

at least one memory operable to store computer-executable instructions; and

at least one processor configured to access the at least one memory and execute the computer-executable instructions to:

receive, from a healthcare provider computer, a healthcare claim transaction associated with a product requested by a customer;

direct communication of the healthcare claim transaction from the system to a claims processor for adjudication;

receive, at the system from the claims processor, an adjudicated denied claim response for the healthcare claim transaction, wherein the adjudicated denied claim response indicates denial of any financial coverage for the healthcare claim transaction and wherein the adjudicated denied claim response is not transmitted to the healthcare provider computer;

determine a classification of the product requested by the customer, wherein the classification identifies the product as an over-the-counter product;

convert, at the system, based at least in part upon the determined classification of the product, the denied claim response received from the claims processor to an approved claim response, the approved claim response indicating approval of at least a portion of a price of the requested product; and

direct communication of the approved claim response to the healthcare provider computer.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to:

determine that the healthcare claim transaction was denied based at least in part on the over-the-counter product not being covered by the claims processor; and

convert the denied claim response based at least in part on the determination.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to:

identify a rejection message included in the received response; and

determine, based at least in part upon the identified rejection message, that the healthcare claim transaction was denied based at least in part on the over-the-counter product not being covered by the claims processor.

14. The system of claim 11 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to determine the classification of the product requested by the customer by executing the computer-executable instructions to:

identify a product identifier associated with the product;

determine, based at least in part upon the product identifier, the classification of the product; and

determine that the classification identifies the product as the over-the-counter product.

15. The system of claim 11 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to:

calculate a price for the product requested by the customer; and

modify the approved claim response to include the calculated price.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to:

identify one or more pricing parameters for the product;

determine a quantity associated with the product; and

calculate the price based at least in part upon the identified one or more pricing parameters and the determined quantity.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the one or more pricing parameters are obtained from an external data source.

18. The system of claim 15 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to:

identify a discount available for the product requested by the customer; and

calculate the price for the product requested by the customer based at least in part upon the identified discount.

19. The system of claim 15 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to:

determine that funding is available to cover at least a portion of the price of the product requested by the customer; and

calculate the price for the product requested by the customer based at least in part upon the determination that funding is available.

20. The system of claim 11 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to:

direct storage of a financial record associated with the conversion of the denied claim response to the approved claim response.

Assignments (4)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 12, 2017
From: MCKESSON FINANCIAL HOLDINGS UNLIMITED COMPANY
To: MCKESSON CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 041355/0408 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Jan 11, 2017
From: MCKESSON FINANCIAL HOLDINGS
To: MCKESSON FINANCIAL HOLDINGS UNLIMITED COMPANY
Reel/Frame 041329/0879 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Jul 18, 2016
From: MCKESSON FINANCIAL HOLDINGS LIMITED
To: MCKESSON FINANCIAL HOLDINGS
Reel/Frame 039380/0821 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 3, 2011
From: RINGOLD, JAMES MORGAN; PINSONNEAULT, ROGER
To: MCKESSON FINANCIAL HOLDINGS LIMITED
Reel/Frame 025572/0266 →