WO2011107099A1

WO2011107099A1 - System for automatic client payment

Info

Publication number: WO2011107099A1
Application number: PCT/DK2011/050061
Authority: WO
Inventors: Jesper Melin Ganc-Petersen
Original assignee: Melin Medical As
Priority date: 2010-03-01
Filing date: 2011-03-01
Publication date: 2011-09-09

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method of an unique identify able payment of an expense, including at least the following steps, registration of a client in a first computer system, which first computer system performs a search for client data, in which first computer system a person performs a registration of at least one fee, which first computer system based on the registered fee generates an invoice. The client performs 10 unique identification at the patient or client fee handling terminal, which first computer system transmits invoices to the patient or client fee handling terminal, where the client selects a method of payment. For all service providers such as e.g. medical doctors, dentists or in fact any other service provider where the invoice is ready before a client or patient leaves a clinic, it is highly effective if payment for a service could be received 15 as soon as possible when e.g. a patient has to leave a clinic. Immediate payment could be very important for the service provider but because the payment is performed automatically, no work is involved in receiving the payment.

Description

System for automatic client payment Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a method of payment of an expense, including at least the following steps, registration of a client in a first computer system, which first computer system performs a search for client data, in which first computer system a person performs a registration of at least one fee, which first computer system based on the registered fee generates an invoice.

Furthermore, the present invention relates to a computer system for payment of an expense, which computer system comprises a first computer terminal and a patient or client fee handling terminal, at which first computer terminal an invoice is generated and stored by the computer system.

Background of the Invention

US 2008/010191 discloses methods and systems for providing a financial payment to a payee utilizing a mobile device such as a mobile telephone (cellphone) or wireless connected personal digital assistant (PDA). The user inputs information into the mobile device identifying a payee, a payment source for the payment, and a payment method. The mobile device generates a mobile payment instruction comprising information corresponding to the identified payee, the payment source, and the payment method, and wirelessly communicates the mobile payment instruction to a mobile financial transaction system (MFTS). The MFTS generates an MFTS payment instruction to a payment instruction recipient. The MFTS payment instruction includes information identifying the payment source, an amount, information corresponding to the identified payee, and information indicating the payment method. The MFTS communicates the MFTS pay- ment instruction to a payment instruction recipient. In response to receipt of the MFTS payment instruction, the payment instruction recipient effects a payment to the identified payee without any required action by the payee.

US 2008/010191 are in all the description limited to mobile payment of invoices. The document only describes that PDA or mobile phones can be used for paying bills. The identification is performed in a way where it is the mobile device or mobile phone that is identified for paying the bill. In that way there is no identification of a person who is going to pay that bill. In that way the invoice can in fact be paid by everybody, for example, also by a stolen PDA or a stolen mobile phone. Especially for payment of medical bills it is very important that the person who is paying the bill and receiving receipts is identified by a personal identification number. There is in this document no indication in the direction of a fixed terminal.

US4858121 discloses pluralities of remote terminals which are each disposed in a physician's office and are connected by telephone lines or other electronic data communi- cation with a central processing system. Each terminal includes a data entry key board and a magnetic tape reader for entering physician, patient, medical service, insurance, and other medically related data. The entered data is processed by a terminal processor to incorporate previously stored data from an electronic data memory and to transfer and store entered medical transaction data to memory. The central processing system includes a physician file for storing participating physician identifications for verifying received physician information data, a patient memory for storing participating patient data for verifying received patient identification data, an insurance company file for storing appropriate format for medical claims for each of a plurality of participating insurance companies, and a claims file for storing a record of medical insurance claims processed. A central processing computer processes the received data and formats it into the appropriate format for a medical claim to the identified insurance company. A printer or an electronic data transfer transfers the medical claims from the central processing system directly to the insurance companies. Electronic funds transfer facilities at the central processing station and at one or several banks or financial institutions are called upon to transfer funds directly to a physician's account and to acknowledge receipt of funds from insurance company accounts. The document mentioned here only concerns payment from the assurance company and is not directed in the direction of letting the client pay a medical bill.

Object of the Invention

It is the object of the invention to perform an easy and fast payment of invoices in the clinic. A further object of the invention is to perform a full automatic payment and in this way reduce time used by the staff to accept a payment, because the system performs automatic payment in a clinic.

Description of the Invention

The object of the invention can be fulfilled by a method as described in the preamble to claim 1 and further modified by transmitting the invoice to a patient or client fee handling terminal, where the client performs an identification at the patient or client fee handling terminal, which patient or client fee handling terminal performs a check for relevant open invoices in the first computer system, which first computer system trans- mits at least one open invoice to the patient or client fee handling terminal, where the client selects a method of payment. In this way, a client or patient will at the terminal perform a personal identification by typing in, for example, a personal number, and in that way the client or patient will be identified with a very high degree of security, so only the correct patient will be able to pay an invoice.

For all service providers such as e.g. health care providers, it is highly effective if payment for a service could be received as soon as possible when e.g. a client or patient has to leave a clinic. Immediate payment could be very important for the service provider but because the payment is performed automatically, no work is involved in re- ceiving the payment. When the payment is received immediately after a visit in a clinic, there is no need for sending an invoice by post direct to a patient. By means of this method, an invoice is generated immediately after a patient has finished the consultation with e.g. a health care provider. The invoice is already prepared in the computer system, which invoice contains the client or patients unique personal data such as a personal number and the doctor or dentist only needs to fill in one or perhaps more codes which is probably so well-known that a health care provider does not need to search for the code numbers. As soon as the codes are filled in a form, the system is able to generate an invoice automatically. This invoice is then automatically transmitted to the patient or client fee handling terminal and the patient or client who has to pay the invoice will at this terminal fill in a personal code and the invoice will be shown at a screen. Giving the client or the patient a choice of different ways of paying most of the persons today are carrying one or more credit cards, so in order to pay in the easiest way, they will choose one of the possible credit cards options. Otherwise, it is possible to pay in cash. If you pay in cash, the patient or client fee handling terminal will have a coin inlet but also a note inlet. In this way it is also possible to pay in cash. A third possibility could be to decide not to pay at once, but to get the invoice sent by traditional post or the invoice could be sent by E-mail. In some systems, that could involve paying an additional fee so that patients or other clients automatically prefer to pay in case or by credit card. In this way, the number of invoices which have to be sent by regular post reduced to perhaps by 90 per cent. It is further possible to perform WEB payment by the computer connection or payment can be performed by a mobile phone or hand- held computer. The patient or client fee handling terminal can comprise a printer so that the patient or client can receive full copy of all documentation including bank or giro payment documents. In this way, also further documents could be printed. These further documents could be a prescription or information to the patient in how to use medicine. The patient or client fee handling terminal can further comprise a self service for a client for time reservation or print of computer accepted prescriptions. The client or patient can perform a time reservation in hospitals for further test or analyses

The patient or client fee handling terminal can present a list of payment methods for a client, which list of payment comprises at least credit card, cash paying or receive the invoice for manual payment. Presenting a list of payment method will automatically motivate most clients or patients to use credit cards for payment.

The patient or client fee handling terminal can further be connected to at least a second computer system, which second computer system is a factoring system placed at an external factoring company, which second computer system comprises a factoring database holding client fees, which second computer system is connected to a database comprising bank accounts.

In all situations where payment is received by means of credit cards, it is necessary to have computer connection to a factoring system in order to firstly check if the credit card is valid and secondly to send an electronic transaction to a credit card administration company. The patient or client fee handling terminal can be connected to TCP/IP net, which patient or client fee handling terminal is connected through the TCP/IP net to the second computer system. The computer communication can use the internet in order to perform the communication, preferably by a special secure communication protocol. It is possible on the internet to have a close communication with e.g. secure data that is transmitted between two fixed points at the internet. In this way, it is nearly impossible for other users on the internet to get access to the closed line and money transferring data actions can be made without any risk. The patient or client fee handling terminal performs at least the following steps each time a client activates the patient or client fee handling terminal, where the client makes a request at the patient or client fee handling terminal, the patient or client fee handling terminal performs a check in a client journal for open invoices in the first computer system, the patient or client fee handling terminal presents the client for the fee, and the patient or client fee handling terminal indicate a number of methods to pay the outstanding fee, the client selects one of the methods for paying the fee, the client pay the fee, the outstanding invoice in the first computer system is marked as paid, the patient or client fee handling terminal prints invoice marked as paid together with further documents, the client is logoff from the patient or client fee handling terminal. It is necessary that each time a patient or a client has to use the patient or client fee handling terminal to indicate the identity of the person who is activating e.g. a screen. Therefore, a first question will always be to identify the person. In some European countries each person has a personal identification number that is used in all communication with the health care providers. And used as a reference to a health insurance system. In this situation, the personal identification number has to be filled in at the terminal to indicate who the person is. In countries in which personal numbers do not access, also names and addresses can be used. When the person has been identified at the terminal, the terminal is able to search for invoices. The next step will be that the terminal shows one or more open invoices at the screen. After this the patient or the client can perform the payment and a new screen with payment methods will appear. Subsequently, payment can be made perhaps either by credit card or perhaps in cash. Hereafter, perhaps the paid invoice will be printed together with further documents. Instead the patient or client fee handling terminal can perform at least the following steps each time a client activate the patient or client fee handling terminal, The client performs request at the patient or client fee handling terminal, the patient or client fee handling terminal performs a check in a client journal for open invoices in the first computer system, the patient or client fee handling terminal present the client for the fee, and the patient or client fee handling terminal indicates a number of methods to pay the outstanding fee, the client decides not to pay the fee, the client is logoff from the patient or client fee handling terminal. In situations where the client is not paying the invoice and directly accepting that an invoice has to be sent later on, this form of de- layed payment will also be accepted by the system as such but perhaps an additional fee will be incurred to the invoice if the payment has to be made in that way.

The first computer system performs an end of the day check by selecting all open not paid invoices from the patient or client fee handling terminal, the second computer sys- tern send a request for open invoices, which first computer mark the invoices in the as paid. These marked invoices are handled in the computer system as active, which invoices are, closes in the system when paid. By waiting until the end of the day to transmit non-paid invoices further to the second external computer system, the computer system is at that particular moment perhaps not that busy with other transactions. Also the locally placed first computer system has sufficient capacity to perform that transmission at that moment.

The patient or client fee handling terminal can transmit information related to paid invoices to the factoring system, which factoring system comprises a price code matrix, which price code matrix comprises data for sending one part of an invoice to the client and another part of an invoice to a health insurance organization. Hereby the system can automatically split an invoice in one part for the client and another part for the health insurance company, which system sends an electronic invoice to the health insurance company. In some countries there exist a public health insurance, which for some persons lead to the fact that a first part of a bill is paid by the public health insurance, and another part of the bill is paid by a private health insurance company and a third part has to be paid by the person. In the computer system, a price code is used in a matrix for automatic defining of which part of the payment is sent to the clinic and which part of the payment is for a person. When the payment is received the system can automatically transfer the amount of money directly to the clinic and directly, for example, to the doctor who has performed a job. By this code system it is also possible to analyze how many different procedures, for example, a doctor has performed. For some different jobs defined in the code system, a doctor maybe has to pay 50% back to clinic. The system can automatically generate reports that perform the automatic transmission of the payment between clinic and doctor. It is also possible by the code system to change the payment, for example, for the doctor, depending on the time on the day or if it is in a weekend or in which clinic the doctor works.

The patient or client fee handling terminal can transmit all received payments to a computer, which computer performs local administration of the received payment; the computer system performs a distribution of the received amount to all involved internal or external service providers having performed services related to each payment that is received. Hereby is achieved that the payment to external service providers is performed automatically. This could for example be external laborites which have performed a blood test or it could be services that are provided at a hospital. In this way no persons are involved in transmitting part of a received fee to the external service providers. In that way the administrative burden is in every organization limited, be- cause some of the more boring manual operations are reduced. Especially in the health sector, it is important if the time spent in that way could be used for further services for clients or patients.

The computer system can perform storages of payments received in a matrix in the computer system, where the matrix performs a distribution of the payment to a number of internal service providers. The use of the internal matrix means that the different expenses that have been used internally in the organization can be distributed to one or more actual activities, such as different persons or technical equipment and for payment of rent or mortgage. In that way, for example, each time an amount is received a cer- tain percentage of that amount is used for paying the rent for the building. Another amount is maybe paying the doctor and a further amount is used for paying the secretary. Other different examples could be used where the matrix sends part of the payment in different directions. The matrix can be performed so that all different treat- ments of a patient will be divided differently in the matrix. In that way, each activity can be split up in the matrix in a way where the payment is used most effectively to pay all the internal expenses. In this way these internal expenses are stored on a web part of the computer system where each of the service providers or doctors in that way with the web part of the computer system can control the payment from the clinic or the payment for other services that are part of the matrix.

The object of the invention can be fulfilled by a system as described in the preamble to the claim 9 an further modified by sending invoices to the patient or client fee handling terminal, which patient or client fee handling terminal and the first computer system is connected to a payment and transaction handler, which transaction handler is communicating through an interface with an external database which database comprises tables of client fees, which payment and transaction handler is connected to a cash handling interface, which payment and transaction handler is connected to a credit handling in- terface, which transaction handler is further connected to a recipe printer, which transaction handler is connected to a transaction database.

The transaction handler is preferably a software module operating in a server connected to a local network (LAN) to which network also first computer systems are connected together with one or more patient or client fee handling terminals. Hereby, it can be achieved that more first computer systems can be operating more or less in parallel by handling patient data because the first computer system as such are also connected by the LAN to a database which contains patient or client data which can be patient journals. Hereby it can be achieved that a health care provider by receiving a patient is calling in the computer system for the patient data and at the same time is opening the payment and transaction handler because an invoice is already started to be generated when a client is entering the visitors' waiting room. As soon as the treatment has ended, the health care provider fills in perhaps only a code of a few digits which tells the computer system exactly which kind of activity has been performed and the payment and transaction handler fills in the rest of an invoice. This invoice is then seconds later available at the patient or client fee handling terminal in which the client is able to pay. Description of the Drawing

Figure 1 shows a basic overview of a system.

Figure 2 shows a possible basic flow for a patient or client fee handling terminal. Figure 3 shows a basic flow for an end of the day routine. Figure 4 shows a system for payment.

Detailed Description of the Invention

Figure 1 shows a basic overview of a system 100, which system comprises at least a first computer terminal 101, which system comprises external database 102 containing patient or client journal information, which external database is e.g. a local area network (LAN) and the first computer terminal are connected to a patient or client fee handling terminal 104. The patient or client fee handling terminal 104 is connected to the internet 106 probably by a secure communication protocol. The internet 106 is further connected to an external computer system 108, which comprises a factoring system at an external factoring company. The external factoring system is further connected to a factoring database containing fees 110 and further connected to a database 112 which contains bank accounts. The patient or client fee handling terminal 104 is further connected to an internal administration computer system 116.

It is to be understood that if a patient or a client is using the fee handling terminal 104, this terminal only needs to register who the client is to get access to data at the external database 102 and from there get access to invoices relating to the client in question based on data from the first computer terminal 101 and data from the database 102. The client at the terminal 104 can then pay the fee invoiced and information relating to e.g. to credit cards can be transmitted by the secure line over the internet 106 to a credit card company where e.g. accept of the credit card is performed. After the pay- ment from e.g. a credit card, bank accounts at the database 110 can be updated so that payment transactions are fulfilled. Figure 2 shows a possible basic flow for a patient or client fee handling terminal 200. A client request is performed at 202 where the system at first checks external client or patient journal system for open invoices by 204 where the box 208 presents a client or a patient to the fee and indicate ways to pay the outstanding fee. The box 206 is an ending box because no open invoices are found for the client or patient and the system returns to start. The box 210 selects a client one or more payment methods. If one of the methods is selected then in the box 214, the client pays the fee and the outstanding invoice in the external present journal system is marked as paid. Instead, it is possible in the box 210 that a client or patient decides not to pay the fee. Therefore, the box 212 is a logout box. If the fee is paid in the box 214, then in the block 216 prints of relevant documents are performed, e.g. receipt and after ending the printing job, there is a return to the logon screen so the system is ready for the next transaction.

In a computer system as indicated in figure 2, an invoice can be paid automatically.

Figure 3 shows a basic flow for an end of the day routine 300. The block 302 indicates the start of the end of day routine. In the block 304, a check is performed of whether the time is the correct for the end of the day routine and if yes starts the process. If the process is not ready to be started, the second computer system send a request for open invoices, which first computer mark the invoices in the computer system as paid. These marked invoices are handled in the computer system as active, which invoices are closes in the system when paid. Then there is a jump into the block 306 and a waiting sequence is performed e.g. indication to wait one minute to return to the block 304 and perform the next check. In the block 308, a collection of all open non-paid invoices from the external client or patient journal system is performed. In the block 310, non- paid invoices are sent to a factoring system and in the internal system, these invoices are marked in the patient journal system as paid.

In this way it can be achieved that all non-paid invoices are transferred further to an external system perhaps printing and sending out invoices to clients or patients who have not paid in cash or by credit card. In this way, the manual work, e.g. health care clinic is reduced to an absolute minimum. The employees can spend more time giving advice and service to the patients because most of the administrative work is performed automatically or outsourced.

Figure 4 shows a system for payment 400. 402 is an external database holding patient fees. The block 404 is an interface to the external database for handling transactions between the patient or client fee handling terminal and the external database 402. 406 is a software module which is a payment and transaction handler. The payment and transaction handler has direct access into the paying terminal 408. Furthermore, there is a direct connection to a cash handling interface 416 and to a credit handling interface 410. Payment can also be performed by means of WEB payment by the computer connection or payment can be performed by a mobile phone or handheld computer. Furthermore, the payment or transaction handler 406 is connected to a printer 412 which e.g. may print receipts. The payment and transaction handler 406 is further connected to a transaction database 418. The payment and transaction handler 406 is the so-called brain of the system that can take care of most of the day-to-day administrative work connected to invoicing taking place in a clinic.

By the method or a system as described above, automatic payment can be performed by a client or a patient each time the bill exists in a computer system when the client or patient wants to pay the bill. The patient or client can recall the bill, because it relates to a personal identification number such as the cpr-number known in Scandinavia which personal number is unique for identification of a person. Other kinds of personal identification could also be used, for example a private health identification card could be used for recalling the bill. In that way, it is possible to reduce labour in the admini- stration, before the patient or client can perform payment automatically, if the patient or client has a credit card that can be used in the payment terminal. When a payment is performed from a patient or client, all these amounts are transmitted to an administration system which administration system performs a distribution of the received amount to related organizations which have performed a service and therefore should receive payment from the actual client or patient. This is important when different organizations are using the same terminal. The system performs a registration of who in a clinic has performed the job related to a patient or a client and in that way an automatic registration is performed of the work that is performed, and in that way how much of the payment the person in question has to receive. All these activities are performed automatically.

The system comprises, as already described, a matrix for dividing internal expenses, whereby all internal payment instructions between the actual doctors or other personnel and the clinic where they are working are transmitted automatically. If, for example, a doctor receives fixed monthly payment, the entire amount is transmitted to the clinic which then will have to pay him once per month. Other possibilities for persons who are working in different ways at the clinic can be handled in the matrix. For example the rent or mortgage can be paid automatically from the clinic or by persons who are connected to the clinic in another way, they can for example pay a rent for an office each month, and, for example, these amounts for fixed monthly costs could be paid before the rest of the money that is earned is paid to the personnel. In that way such a matrix system can automatically split up all payments into different directions depending on the actual job that is performed and also in dependence of who has performed the activity. This matrix in the computer system can be designed for web access, in that way every service provider or doctor can have access to their own part of the matrix by the internet.

Claims

1. Method of payment of an unique identify able expense, including at least the following steps: registration of a client in a first computer system (100), which first computer system (100) performs a search for client data, in which first computer system (100) a person performs a registration of at least one fee, which first computer system (100) based on the registered fee generates an invoice, characterized in, that the invoice is transmitted to a patient or client fee handling terminal (104), the client performs an identification at the patient or client fee handling terminal (104), which patient or client fee handling terminal (104) performs a check for relevant open invoices in the first computer system (100), which first computer system (100) transmits at least one open invoice to the patient or client fee handling terminal (104), where the client selects a method of payment.

2. Method of payment of an unique identify able expense according to claim 1, characterized in that the patient or client fee handling terminal (104) presents a list of payment methods for a client, which list of payment comprises at least credit card, cash payment or reception of the invoice for manual payment.

3. Method of payment of an unique identify able expense according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the patient or client fee handling terminal (104) is further connected to at least a second computer system (108), which second computer system (108) is a factoring system placed at an external factoring company, which second computer system comprises a factoring database (112) holding client fees, which sec- ond computer system is connected to a database (110) comprising bank accounts.

4. Method of payment of an unique identify able expense according to claim 3, characterized in that the patient or client fee handling terminal (104) is connected to the TCP/IP net (106), which patient or client fee handling terminal is connected through the TCP/IP net to the second computer system (108).

5. Method of payment of an unique identify able expense according to one of the claims 1-4, characterized in that the patient or client fee handling terminal (104) per- forms at least the following steps each time a client activates the patient or client fee handling terminal (104): a: Client performs a search in a database at the patient or client fee handling terminal (104), b: the patient or client fee handling terminal (104) performs a check (204) in a client or patient journal for open invoices in the first computer system (100) for the unique person, c: the patient or client fee handling terminal (104) presents the client or patient for the fee (208), and the patient or client fee handling terminal (104) indicates a number of methods to pay the outstanding fee, d: the client or patient selects one of the methods of paying the fee, e: the client pays the fee, the outstanding invoice in the first computer system is marked as paid, f: the patient or client fee handling terminal (104) prints invoice marked as paid together with further documents, the client is logoff (2012) from the patient or client fee handling terminal (104).

6. Method of payment of an expense according to one of the claims 1-4, characterized in that the patient or client fee handling terminal (104) performs at least the following steps each time a client activates the patient or client fee handling terminal (104): a: Client performs a search in a database at the patient or client fee handling terminal (104), b: the patient or client fee handling terminal (104) performs a check (204) in a client journal for open invoices in the first computer system (100), c: the patient or client fee handling terminal (104) presents the client for the fee (208), and the patient or client fee handling terminal (104) indicate a number of methods to pay the outstanding fee, d: the client decides not to pay the fee (212). e: the client is logoff (216) from the patient or client fee handling terminal (103).

7. Method of payment of an unique identify able expense according to claim 6, characterized in that the second computer system send a request for open invoices, which first computer mark the invoices in the computer system as paid, these marked invoices are handled in the computer system as active, which invoices are closes in the system when paid,

a: selects all open non-paid invoices from the patient or client fee handling terminal (104), b: sends the non-paid invoiced to the second computer system (108), c: marks the invoices in the first computer system as paid.

8. Method of payment of an unique identify able expense according to one of the claims 1-7, characterized in that the patient or client fee handling terminal (104) transmits information related to paid invoices to the factoring system, which factoring system comprises a price code matrix, which price code matrix comprises data for sending one part of an invoice to the client and another part of an invoice to a health insurance organization.

9. Method of payment of an unique identify able expense according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the patient or client fee handling terminal (104) transmit all received payments to a computer system( 108,116), which computer system (108,116) performs local administration of the received payment, the computer system (108,116) performs a distribution of the received amount to all involved internal or external service providers having performed services related to each payment that is received. 10. Method of payment of an unique identify able expense according to claim 9, characterized in that the computer system (108,116) performs storages of payments received in a matrix in the computer system, where the matrix performs a distribution of the payment to a number of internal service providers.

10. Computer system of payment of an unique identify able expense, which computer system comprises a first computer terminal and a patient or client fee handling terminal, at which first computer terminal an invoice is generated and stored by the computer system, characterized in that the invoice is sent to the patient or client fee handling terminal (104,408), which patient or client fee handling terminal (104,408) and the first computer system (100) is connected to a payment and transaction handler (406), which transaction handler (406) is communicating through an interface (404) with an external database (402) which database comprises tables of client fees, which payment and transaction handler (406) is connected to a cash handling interface (416), which payment and transaction handler (406) is connected to a credit handling interface (410), which transaction handler (406) is further connected to a receipt printer (412), which transaction handler (406) is connected to a transaction database (418)