Patent for “Apparatus for providing employee benefits, and/or employee benefit information”

Digital Healthcare – Raymond Anthony Joao, GTJ VENTURES LLC

Search Patent for “Apparatus for providing employee benefits, and/or employee benefit information”

Abstract for “Apparatus for providing employee benefits, and/or employee benefit information”

“A computer-implemented process, which includes receiving a claim or request for an employees benefit via the Internet or World Wide Web. The second processing device can access the Internet or World Wide Web and determine whether the request for an employee benefits is to be provided.

Background for “Apparatus for providing employee benefits, and/or employee benefit information”

Many employers offer employee benefits in the form benefits, plans, and programs. Employers often offer employee benefits as part of their overall compensation packages. These benefits could include employee benefits such as health insurance benefits or disability insurance benefits. They may also include pension benefits, stock options programs, stock options programs, profit sharing programs and employee savings plans. Employee credit union accounts and services are available. You can also add other industry-specific or employer-specific benefits to the list.

Many benefits that are offered to employees can be so complex and confusing in terms of how to use them that the employee might not even know about them. Sometimes, it may be difficult for employees to get in touch with the provider of benefits. These situations will require the employee to spend time and effort, sometimes a lot of time and great effort, to get information or a benefit.

“Frustration can result from benefits being too complicated or difficult to access or obtain. This is especially true if benefits are unclear or difficult to understand or communicate with. Because most employees are looking for benefits at work, the employer or company spends time and resources on benefits issues, often at the expense of the employee.

Administrators must be able to monitor and manage a large amount of complex and diverse information required for the administration and offering of employee benefits. Employees should also be supported in their attempts to access their benefits or to any information related to them.

Employers must also employ competent administrators to manage and supervise employee benefits programs and plans. Administrators typically provide administrative and managerial support and must often interact with various providers of benefits to ensure they comply with their obligations under plans and programs. Administrators should also inform employees about any changes in these benefits and their status.

Administrators must deal with employees who have difficulties obtaining benefits or information. Administrators should also address other benefits-related problems as they arise.

As you can see, it takes a lot of time, money, and resources to offer and manage employee benefits programs or plans. When benefits and/or information about benefits are not easily accessible to employees, even greater sums are spent.

Even though administrators are doing a great job, administrators’ high ratios can sometimes make it difficult for employees to get the assistance and/or information they need to access benefits information or resolve problems with benefit providers.

“Employees may need to spend unnecessary amounts of energy and time during work hours and/or company time in search of benefits and/or information that should otherwise be readily and easily available to them.”

“The characteristics of typical employee benefit plans and programs may result in high costs for employers in the form monetary costs, inefficient use of company resources and lower than optimal output from employees.

The present invention is a system and method that provides employee benefits information and/or employee benefits information to employees, administrators and other personnel. It overcomes the limitations of the prior art. Employees and administrators of benefit programs or plans have access to benefits information and benefits through the apparatus and method of this invention. The present invention makes it easy to obtain benefits or employee benefits information. This reduces the effort, time, expense, and effort involved in this process.

“The present invention also provides an apparatus, and a method, which allows an employee or benefits administrator, to communicate with the employer and/or any other benefits provider and transact benefits-related business.”

“The present invention provides an apparatus, and a method, for providing employee benefits, and/or employee benefit information, by providing access to central processing computer systems that are linked with or associated with each of the benefits providers. An employee or benefits administrator can connect to the central processing computer system using a communication device, such as a personal computer or a computer stationed at the employer’s site and/or any other public, semipublic, or private location, and/or any other suitable communications device.

“The administrator or employee may access benefit information via the central processing computer system. They can also obtain information from or communicate with any provider associated with the employee’s benefits program or plan via the central processing computer system.

Employee benefits and/or benefit programs or plans can contain employee personnel information, including wages, payroll and status. This information may also include vacation time, sick and personal time information, status of employee pensions or benefits, status of employee retirement plans or plans, status of employee pension benefits, status and status of employee insurance, student tuition reimbursement, continuing education programs, tuition reimbursement, and/or continuing educational programs. Any other employee benefits or information can be contained in the central processing computer system.

The database can contain information about employee benefits for all employees who are enrolled in a plan, program or other type of benefit. Information can be stored in a database, or in a group of databases at the respective benefit providers’ computers. Each benefit provider’s information can be updated instantly using dynamically linked databases techniques or other database management techniques.

“The apparatus contains a central processing computer system (or server computer) for receiving and storing pertinent information, and/or information that provides a link to benefits information for various providers and sources. An employer computer is also part of the apparatus. This computer links with the central processing system and provides all relevant information about employees and employers, as well employer-provided benefits and programs.

“The employer information may also include information about the different benefits providers such as health insurance benefits, disability insurance benefits, life insurance benefits, providers, credit union benefits, providers, and pension fund benefits, providers, providers, and retirement benefits, and any other benefits or benefits that are or could be provided under or in connection to the employment relationship.”

“The apparatus also contains a health insurance system that is associated with each provider of health insurance and which is linked to the central processing system. Each provider of health insurance can have their own computer to provide information to the central processing system about their plans or benefits.

“The apparatus also contains a disability insurance system that is linked to each provider of disability insurance. Each provider of health insurance can have their own computer to provide information to the central processing system about their plans or benefits.

“The apparatus also contains a life insurance system that is associated with each life insurer and which is linked to the central processing system. Each life insurance provider can have their own computer to provide information to the central processing system about their plans or benefits.

The apparatus also contains a credit union computer system or banking services computer system that is linked to the central processing system. The credit union’s or banking services computer systems can provide information about the employee’s savings, loan information, and mortgage information. They also have information regarding other benefits, such as savings rates, loan rates, mortgage rates, and any other financial information that may be available to the employees.

“The apparatus also contains a pension benefits system that is associated with each provider of pension benefits. This system is linked to the central computing computer system and provides information about employee pension accounts to this central processing computer.

“The apparatus also contains a financial/retirement benefit computer system that is associated with each financial/retirement services provider. This computer system is also linked to a central processing computer system to provide information about employee retirement accounts and/or benefits, and/or information to central processing computer systems.”

“The apparatus also contains an employee discount or buying services computer system that is associated with each employee discount provider and/or buying agent. It is also linked to central processing computer system. The central processing computer system can also access information about the employee discount or buying services computer system. A computer system that provides employee discounts and/or buying service may be linked to each provider of these benefits.

“The apparatus can also include a communication device, such as a personal computer or a desktop computer system. Or any other suitable computer system. Administrators or employees can use the communication device to access the central processor computer system to receive benefits, get information about benefits, communicate or correspond with the employer, financial institutions, discount providers or other benefits providers. The communication device can interact with any of the benefit providers listed herein and access the central processing computer system.

“The present invention’s apparatus and method can be used on or over any communication network, as well on or over the Internet, the World Wide Web. It also includes intranets, local areas networks (LANs), large area networks (WANs), and any other communication system.

“Any and all communications, data, and/or information transfers that can be made in conjunction with the apparatus and methods described herein can be encrypted to create a secure communication environment. This can be done by using any of the security methods or techniques known.

“The present invention is an apparatus and a means to allow employees or administrators to access benefits and/or information from any place and any time of the day or night.

“The administrator or employee can communicate with their employer and any of the benefits providers listed herein by using the apparatus, such as electronic mail correspondence, facsimile correspondence and electronic form submission and transmission, and/or any other suitable electronic communication technique or method.”

“The invention allows employees to upgrade or downgrade their benefits and/or to exchange benefits for other benefits. This allows them to tailor their benefits packages to meet their individual needs.”

The present invention allows employees to directly contact their respective benefit providers to make desired benefits changes. The ability for employees to directly access their providers allows for more personal relationships between employees and their benefit providers. This will allow for employees to have better relationships with their providers as well as the possibility of maintaining future employee/benefits provider relationships.

The present invention allows employees to notify their employer of any action they take to modify or upgrade the benefits listed herein. This keeps the employer updated about the status of each employee’s benefits. The apparatus of the invention provides lists of employees that are covered by various benefits plans, along with information about the benefits they receive.

“The present invention is also able to provide information to benefits providers regarding employees who have upgraded their benefits or taken advantage of employee discounts, benefits offers, and/or purchasing services. This provides the respective benefits providers information and/or employees with which they may communicate future offerings.”

“The present invention allows employees to choose a different provider of benefits from which they can receive benefits. The present invention is also useful for employees who want to use monies or credits that can be provided by their employer to obtain benefits under an employment relationship. This allows them to choose and receive a program or benefits plan which suits their needs.

“By allowing employees to have their own benefits plans or programs, the invention allows them to transfer their benefits from one job to another. This allows them to keep their benefits during periods of unemployment, retirement, and/or between jobs.

“The present invention is also able to provide informational services related to employee benefits to the employee/administrator in different areas, including law and medicine, dentistry, accounting, tax planning, and so forth.”

“The invention also provides an apparatus, and a method to facilitate communication between different benefits providers. The invention can be used to permit different providers, such as doctors and other healthcare providers, to share and confer information about employees. The communication system and apparatus may allow an employee to request an authorized referral to a doctor or another healthcare provider. Referrals can then be recorded using the apparatus of this invention for insurance purposes.

The central processing computer system may be used by a benefits provider institution or a benefit management institution to provide the services described in this document. Brokers and/or dealers can also use the central processing computer system to access various employee benefits, such as insurance plans, pension plans, retirement plans, and programs, and can be used by them to offer discounts and/or buy services plans, among others, that are described in this document.

“The invention is compatible with intelligent agents, mobile agents, and software agents.”

“Applicant hereby includes by reference herein, the subject matter Agent Sourcebook, A Complete Guide Desktop, Internet, and Intranet Agents, Alper Caglayan, Wiley Computer Publishing, 1997. Applicant also incorporates the subject matter Cool Intelligent Agents for The Net, Leslie L. Lesnick and Ralph E. Moore, IDG Books Worldwide, Inc. 1997.”

“Intelligent agent can be used in any of these embodiments to obtain information for an administrator, employee or any other provider.”

An intelligent agent can represent the employee and obtain information about benefits and/or information availability status, status benefits claims status, and information about providers of benefits. A number of intelligent agents can be authorized to act on behalf of the employee, administrator, and to request information about benefits and/or benefits, order services, and/or purchase benefits or goods/services provided by the benefits program or plan.

“An intelligent agent (or group of agents) can be programmed for any action or activity described herein on behalf of an employee, administrator, benefit provider, or entity operating the central processing computer system. A programmed intelligent agent can be used to report its findings and/or actions to the employee, administrator or benefit provider.

An intelligent agent can be used by an employee or administrator to locate, locate, and/or get information about employee benefits. This is done by asking and/or instructing the agent(s). An employee can also ask or instruct an agent to locate, locate and/or get information about his or her employment status or benefits. An employee can request or instruct an intelligent agent to locate, locate, and/or get information, instructions, and/or explanations about benefits, and instructions for claiming them.

“The administrator or employee may use and/or deploy intelligent agents at any time, from any place.”

“The intelligent agent(s), can be deployed from the communication device or from the central processing system computer system or any of the benefits provider computer systems.

“The employee and/or administration can also use and/or deploy intelligent agent(s), in order to obtain any employee benefit and/or information about employee benefits, submit claims for benefits, register and/or sign up to any of these employee benefits, and/or inquire and/or status queries regarding employee benefits or employee benefits claims.

“The employee may also use an intelligent agent to send messages to the employer via email transmission, facsimile transmission or electronic form submission or transmission and/or any other communication medium, to make any changes to any of their employee benefits.”

“The employee may also use an intelligent agent to make any modifications or changes to the data or information described herein. This can be done online via the communication device.

“Employees and administrators can use intelligent agents which can be devoted to each provider or coverage type. They can get detailed explanations about the coverage and/or benefits, applicable copayments or deductibles, and instructions for obtaining benefits, directories, and/or listings, etc.”

The employee can also use an intelligent agent to choose a primary care provider for each of the benefits. An intelligent agent can be used by the employee to change their primary care provider and request referral authorizations to specialists. Intelligent agent(s) can also be used by the employee to submit claims online and view status of pending claims.

The employee can also use an intelligent agent to communicate with their health care provider(s). An intelligent agent can be used by the employee to obtain enhanced benefits or to change coverages. This is done via the communication device 20.

“Employes and administrators can use intelligent agents to get detailed explanations of benefits, instructions and/or details for obtaining and/or filing claims, information regarding filing a claim for disability insurance, applicable co-payments and deductibles, and directories and/or lists of doctors and/or other people and/or entities that must be notified or contacted to file a claim.

An intelligent agent (or a combination thereof) can be used by an employee to modify or change their benefits, as well as search for better benefits. A smart agent can be used to create and/or modify a customized benefits package for employees and/or an entire company.

“In all the described embodiments, an intelligent agent (or agents) can be used to communicate with or correspond with the central processing system and/or any provider computer systems.

“An intelligent agent(s), can also be used to pool employees from different employers in order to offer preferred group rates for benefit plans or programs, as well as single provider benefits and coverage. An intelligent agent(s), in these cases, may be used and/or deployed either by employees, employers, the central processing computer operator, and/or any other provider or provider type.

“Benefits providers may use an intelligent agent to communicate new programs, benefits and/or special offers to employees who are served by the invention. Benefits providers can then sell or offer their services, policies, and/or goods directly to employees and/or administrators.

“In any of these embodiments, an intelligent agent (or multiple agents) can be deployed via the communication device or any of the provider computer systems. An intelligent agent can be used by the central processing computer system operator to retrieve, process, and/or communicate with employees, administrators, and/or any other benefits providers or types.

“Employee, administrator, benefits provider and/or central processing system operator can request and/or instruct the intelligent agent(s), to perform a task or obtain information. The task will be performed by the intelligent agent(s). After the task is completed, the intelligent agents can report that it has been completed to the employee, administrator, benefits provider and/or central processing system operator responsible for the action.

“The present invention is able to provide employee benefits and/or information regarding employee benefits for multiple employers or employees.”

The present invention allows employees to continue and maintain their relationships with their respective benefit providers even after their employment relationship has ended. Employees can continue to receive certain or all of their benefits from any provider, regardless of employment status changes.

“In this way, the relationships between employees, respective benefits providers, will facilitate the creation individual benefits accounts which will allow employees greater independence in selecting, maintaining, and choosing employee benefits, while continuing to benefits and/or benefit stability regardless of their employer or employment status.”

The present invention can also serve as a clearinghouse to sell and buy employee benefits. The present invention is also useful for notifying employees of any changes or modifications to their benefits. The invention can also be used to notify employees of their requests and/or offers for benefits.

The present invention is also useful for managing and/or administering financial accounts of any party that uses the apparatus and method described in the invention. The present invention is also useful for executing financial transactions on behalf of a party using the invention.

“The present invention is able to notify financial transactions that occur on or in conjunction with financial accounts. The present invention is also capable of notifying benefits transactions and/or transactions involving benefit and/or benefit accounts.

“The present invention also provides for the authentication of and/or for digital and/or electronic signatures. These can be used in conjunction with any or all of the forms, transmissions and/or communications described herein to provide communication between any of these parties.”

“Accordingly, the object of this invention is to provide an apparatus or a method of providing employee benefits and/or information about employee benefits.”

“It is another object in the present invention to provide an apparatus, a method, and a means for providing employee benefits and/or employee benefit information over a communications network.

“It is another object of this invention to provide an apparatus, a method, and a means for providing employee benefits and/or information about employee benefits by accessing them from a central processing computer system or any other centralized information source.”

“It is another object of this invention to provide an apparatus, a method, and access to employee benefits, and/or employee benefit information, for a comprehensive or integrated employee benefits package.

“It is another object in the present invention to provide an apparatus, a method, and an interface that allows individuals to communicate with and/or correspond directly with benefits providers.”

“It is another object of this invention to provide an apparatus, a method, and a means for providing employee benefits and/or information about employee benefits in real-time over the communication network.”

“It is another object of this invention to provide an apparatus, a method, and a means for providing employee benefits and/or employee benefit information that stores and/or manages employee benefits data and/or information using database management techniques.”

“It is another object in the present invention to provide an apparatus, a method, and/or employee benefit information that allows an individual to modify, enhance, or change benefits in real time.”

“It is another object of this invention to provide an apparatus, a method and information for employee benefits and/or employee benefit information that allows an individual request or order upgrades and downgrades to existing benefits.”

“It is another object of this invention to provide an apparatus, a method for providing employer benefits and/or employee benefit information that allows employers to pool their employee benefits with other employers so they can offer enhanced benefits to employees.”

“It is another object in the present invention to provide an apparatus, a method of providing employee benefits, and/or employee benefit information that can direct an administrator or employee to a benefits provider and/or other goods and/or service providers.

“It is another object of this invention to provide an apparatus, a method, and an apparatus for providing an efficient administration of employee benefits and/or benefit plans.”

“It is another object of the present invention that an apparatus and a method of providing employee benefits and/or information to employees be provided, which reduces employer benefits administration efforts and activities and allows for the outsourcing of some employee benefits administrative functions.”

“It is another object in the present invention to provide an apparatus or a method that allows benefit providers to communicate directly with employees or administrators.”

“It is another object of this invention to provide an apparatus, a method, and a means by which benefit providers can communicate information to employees or administrators, including new benefits, enhancements, or special benefit programmes, to benefit providers.”

“It is another object of the present invention that an apparatus and a process are provided which enable benefit providers to offer or sell their respective benefits to employees or administrators.

“It is another object of the invention to provide an apparatus for providing employee benefits and/or information about employee benefits that will allow employees greater autonomy in selecting and maintaining employee benefit information, regardless of their employer or employment status.”

“It is another object of the invention to provide an apparatus for providing employee benefits and/or information regarding employee benefits that allows for the portability or any combination of employee benefits. This can be independent from employer and/or employment status.

“It is another object of this invention to provide a method to notify interested parties about an employee’s actions to modify or upgrade any of these benefits.”

“It is another object of the present invention that an apparatus and a method can be used to provide employee benefits and/or information about employee benefits which are independent of employment relationships.”

“It is another object of this invention to provide an apparatus for providing employee benefits and/or information regarding employee benefits for providing individual employee benefits that can be portable and can be taken employment relation to employment relationship and/or job to job.”

“It is another object in the present invention to provide an apparatus for providing employee welfare and/or employer benefit information that can use intelligent agents to perform any of these tasks: information retrieval, information processing and/or communication.

“It is another object of this invention to provide an apparatus or a method of providing employee benefits and/or information for any number of employers or employees, or for a plurality.”

“It is another object of this invention to provide an apparatus, a method of providing employee benefits and/or information about employee benefits which can be used to provide a clearinghouse to sell and buy employee benefits.”

“It is another object in the present invention to provide an apparatus, a method of providing employee benefits and/or information about employee benefits that provides notification of changes or modifications to employee benefits.”

“It is another object of this invention to provide an apparatus for providing employee benefits and/or information regarding employee benefits that allows notification of employee benefits requests and/or offers.”

“It is another object of this invention to provide an apparatus, a method, and a means for providing employee benefits and/or employee benefit information that allows for the management and/or administration financial accounts for any of those parties using the apparatus and method described in the present invention.”

“It is another object the present invention to provide an apparatus, a method, and a means of providing employee benefits and/or information about employee benefits that allows for the execution and/or completion of financial transactions for any of the parties who utilize the invention.”

“It is another object in the present invention to provide an apparatus for providing employee benefits and/or employee benefit information that provides notification of financial transactions occurring on, or in conjunction with, financial account.”

“It is another object of this invention to provide an apparatus, a method of providing employee benefits and/or employee benefit information that provides notification of benefits transactions and/or transactions involved in benefits and/or accounts.”

“It is another object of this invention to provide an apparatus for providing employee benefits or employee benefits information that allows for the authentication of, as well as for electronic and/or virtual signatures. These can be used in conjunction with any and all forms, transmissions and/or communications described herein.

“Other objects or advantages of the invention will be obvious to those skilled in the art upon reviewing the Description of the Preferred Embodiments in conjunction with the Drawings that follow.”

Summary for “Apparatus for providing employee benefits, and/or employee benefit information”