JP7109115B1 - Deferred payment system for medical expenses - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides a post-payment system for post-payment settlement of medical fees, which is highly versatile, and which enables efficient accounting processing when a patient pays post-payment for medical fees via the Internet in a medical institution. [Solution] For registered patients, the accounting staff uploads the receipt computer output input from the post-payment reception terminal, extracts the payment information, and sends the extracted payment information to an external payment system for payment. To provide a post-payment system capable of receiving a payment result and confirming the payment result from a patient and a post-payment acceptance terminal. [Selection diagram] Fig. 1

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a post-payment system for medical expenses, and more particularly to a post-payment system for medical expenses in which a patient undergoing medical examination at a medical institution having an existing medical expense accounting system pays the medical expenses in arrears.

Conventionally, in order for a patient who received a medical examination at a medical institution to pay medical expenses, it was necessary to pay at the accounting counter of the medical institution before returning home. For this reason, the patient has to wait in a waiting room or the like for the existing accounting system (receipt computer, hereinafter referred to as "receipt computer") within the medical institution to create a receipt (medical expense statement) and confirm the billing amount. rice field. Medical institutions had to manually reconcile the payment to the receipt computer after the patient's payment was completed.

However, with the development of the Internet and the spread of electronic payment systems accompanying it, patients wanted to eliminate waiting times, and medical institutions wanted to save as much manpower as possible. For this reason, a deferred payment system by credit has been introduced for payment of medical expenses.
For example, a large-scale accounting system has been proposed in which a receipt computer and a post-payment system are systematically connected, and when a patient makes a deferred payment, the payment is automatically reconciled to the receipt computer without human intervention (Patent Document 1). .

JP 2020-009044 A

However, although such an accounting system can automatically complete processing without human intervention at medical institutions, regardless of whether or not the patient has deferred payment, it requires a large-scale system renovation including the existing receipt computer. Therefore, it has been difficult for medical institutions such as medical offices and clinics to introduce post-payment processing in the simplest possible way. In addition, there are a wide variety of receipt computers used by these medical institutions, making it difficult to perform versatile deferred payment processing with simple means.

On the other hand, due to the global epidemic of infectious diseases in recent years, not only wearing masks but also ventilation is required, and it is widely demanded to avoid gatherings of unspecified people such as waiting rooms as much as possible. For this reason, there is an increasing need to minimize the amount of time patients spend in the waiting room waiting for their bill. In addition, there are more opportunities to restrict the movement of people, and medical institutions are strongly required to handle deferred payment settlements with as few operators as possible and with the minimum amount of trouble.

The present invention has been made in order to solve the above-mentioned problems of the prior art, and in the payment of medical institutions, when the patient pays the medical fee after payment, the existing various existing accounting systems can be used as they are. To provide a post-payment system for performing post-payment settlement processing for medical fees, which is highly versatile and which allows medical institutions to take the initiative in efficient accounting processing.

(Solution 1)
In order to solve the above problems and achieve the purpose, the present invention
A post-payment processing server connected to a payment server, a patient terminal, and a post-payment reception terminal via the Internet in order to perform deferred payment processing of medical fees,
The post-payment processing server enables access using the post-payment acceptance terminal as a browser,
Pre-store the registration information of patients who use deferred payment,
Receiving image data of a receipt containing details of medical fees for a patient output by an existing accounting system, which is input to the post-payment acceptance terminal via the image processing unit;
extracting billing information of the patient from the image data;
generating a billing list based on the billing information and the pre-stored registration information, and creating a settlement management screen;
generating payment information based on the billing list, receiving a payment command sent from the post-payment reception terminal, sending the payment information to the payment server to make payment;
The received settlement result is displayed on the settlement management screen, and when it is determined that the settlement is completed, completion is written in the billing list and a settlement completion notice is transmitted to the patient terminal.
As a result, it is possible to provide a highly versatile server that performs post-payment settlement processing for medical fees, which can efficiently perform accounting processing while utilizing a wide variety of existing accounting systems as they are.

(Solution 2)
Also, in this case,
causing the terminal for accepting postpayment to view and edit all or part of the contents of the billing list;
is desirable.
This enables not only simple information input but also accurate settlement processing.

(Solution 3)
Also, in this case,
The registration information is at least a patient ID and an email address,
The payment information is at least a user ID and a billing amount,
is desirable.
As a result, the server can contact the patient via e-mail, and can cooperate with an external system regarding payment, so that the payment can be processed without revealing the patient's personal information.

(Solution 4)
Also, in this case,
It is desirable that the registration information is provided to the post-payment processing server and an external settlement server via the patient terminal.
As a result, the patient can complete the registration from the patient terminal, eliminating the need to go to the medical institution for registration, and the medical institution can also eliminate the need for manual labor for registration.

(Solution 5)
Also, in this case,
When extracting the billing information, it is desirable to extract the billing information using the patient ID as key information.
As a result, the creation of the billing list can be managed using the patient ID as key information, and as a result, it can be processed as the source information of the medical institution payment management screen and the patient payment management screen, and the deferred payment payment can be centrally managed.

(Solution 6)
The present invention
A post-payment reception terminal capable of accessing, as a browser, a post-payment processing server connected via the Internet for post-payment settlement processing of medical fees,
Receipts output by the existing accounting system, which include details of medical fees for patients, are read as image data via an image processing unit,
uploading the image data to the post-payment processing server in order to extract billing information;
causing the post-payment processing server to create a payment management screen containing the payment information, and then transmitting a payment command input from the payment management screen to the post-payment processing server to perform payment processing;
The settlement result is displayed on the settlement management screen.
As a result, it is possible to provide a post-payment reception terminal for a post-payment system that performs post-payment settlement processing for medical fees, which is highly versatile, and which enables efficient accounting processing.

(Solution 7)
The present invention
A patient terminal capable of accessing a post-processing server and a settlement server connected via the Internet as a web browser in order to register for use of deferred payment settlement processing of medical fees,
displaying a usage registration screen for entering registration information for postpayment processing on the postpayment processing server;
Next, the registration information entered by the patient is transmitted to the deferred payment processing server and the settlement server and stored therein.
As a result, it is possible to provide a highly versatile patient terminal of a deferred payment system that performs deferred payment settlement processing for medical fees, enabling use registration from the patient terminal without human intervention.

(Solution 8)
The patient terminal,
moreover,
displaying a settlement management screen including settlement results of deferred payment processing from the claim list stored in the postpay processing server;
Next, a receipt display command input by the patient is transmitted to the post-payment processing server, and the image data of the receipt is displayed on the post-payment processing server.
As a result, it is possible to provide a post-payment acceptance terminal of a post-payment system for post-payment settlement processing of medical fees, which is highly versatile and which enables receipts to be obtained from patient terminals without human intervention.

According to the present invention, since it has the configuration described above, it is highly versatile in that it is possible to efficiently perform accounting processing when a patient pays for medical treatment via the Internet in a medical institution. It is possible to provide a deferred payment system that performs deferred payment settlement processing for medical fees.

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the concept of a deferred payment system S according to this example. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a billing list handled by the post-payment processing server HP of this example. FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram showing the functional configuration of the deferred payment processing server HP of this example. FIG. 4 is a functional block diagram showing the functional configuration of the post-payment acceptance terminal 3 of this example. FIG. 5 is a flow chart showing the processing procedure of the post-payment acceptance terminal 3 of this example. FIG. 6 is a sequence diagram showing the procedure from usage registration for deferred payment settlement, settlement, and subsequent settlement completion of the existing accounting system in this example. FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram for explaining an example of the contents of the patient's advance preparation for using the deferred payment settlement of this example and the handling at the medical institution. FIG. 8 is an example of the usage registration screen C3 of the patient terminal C. As shown in FIG. FIG. 9 is an example of the login screen C1 of the patient terminal C. As shown in FIG. FIG. 10 is an example of the login screen G1 of the deferred payment acceptance terminal 3. As shown in FIG. FIG. 11 is an example of the settlement management screen G2 of the deferred payment acceptance terminal 3. As shown in FIG. FIG. 12 shows an example of the payment management screen (my page) C2 of the patient terminal C. As shown in FIG. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of the receipt rc.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the post-payment system S according to this example will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. This example shows the case where the present invention is applied to a paper-based receipt rc output by an existing accounting system (receipt computer, hereinafter referred to as "receipt computer") E installed in a medical institution A such as a clinic. The charts used in the medical institution A may be electronically processed or paper-based.

<Outline of configuration of deferred payment system according to this example>
FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram for explaining an overview of the configuration of a deferred payment system S that performs deferred payment settlement processing for medical fees according to this example. In the post-payment system S shown in FIG. 1, a post-payment receiving terminal 3, a patient terminal C, a post-processing server HP, and a settlement server SB are connected to a network N such as the Internet N. The settlement server SB may be a settlement agency server to which a plurality of settlement servers are connected.
In addition, the post-payment acceptance terminal 3 is arranged in the medical institution A together with an existing accounting system E called a receipt computer. The existing accounting system E calculates the medical fee and outputs the receipt rc as a form.

(Deferred payment reception terminal)
The deferred payment acceptance terminal 3 shown in FIG. The image processing unit 2 can use a general-purpose scanner connected to the post-payment reception terminal 3 via USB.
Further, the deferred payment acceptance terminal 3 has a display section 32, a communication section 33, a printing section 35, a control section 30 and a storage section 39, as shown in FIG.
The post-payment acceptance terminal 3 can be configured based on a general-purpose personal computer. A web browser must be installed.
The post-payment acceptance terminal 3 uploads the image data d of the receipt rc input by the operator into the scanner 2 to the post-payment server HP, which will be described later.

The input unit 31 is an input device such as a keyboard or mouse, and the display unit 32 is a display device such as a liquid crystal display. The communication unit 33 is connected to the Internet N.
The control unit 30 comprises a computer in which a CPU (Central Processing Unit), an internal memory, an input/output unit, and an external memory are appropriately combined, and an OS (Operating System) and software are installed.
The control unit 30 includes a PDF file generation unit 30a, a PDF file transmission unit 30b, and a payment confirmation unit 30c.
The PDF file generation unit 30a generates a file by converting the image data d read from the scanner 2 into a PDF.
The PDF file transmission unit 30b transmits the created PDF to the post-processing server via the communication unit 33 with the facility code, date and time attached.
The payment confirmation unit 20c displays various information of the billing list L created by the post-processing server HP on the payment management screen G2 via the display screen b32. In response to this, the operator can take measures such as re-reading from the scanner 2 .
The storage unit 39 is configured by a storage device such as an HDD (hard disk device) or an SSD (flash memory or the like). The storage unit 39 stores the created PDF as PDF image data d.

(receipt)
FIG. 13 shows an example of a receipt rc output by the existing accounting system E, which is a receipt computer. If deferred payment is not made, the medical institution A will hand over such a receipt to the patient as an invoice for medical expenses after accounting is completed. The receipt rc describes the details of the first-visit fee, the re-examination fee, and the medical expenses corresponding to medical treatment such as medication and injection. Although there is a degree of freedom in the layout of such items, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare has notified that such items must be described, and the patient number and billing amount must be included. Therefore, even receipts output from a wide variety of receipt computers can be extracted by the system of this example.

As will be described later, the deferred payment server HP extracts the patient number, billing amount, etc. from the image data d of the receipt rc that has been sent. In the example of FIG. 13, the "patient number" (corresponding to the patient ID in this example) and the "billing amount" (corresponding to the billing amount in this example) are described in numbers, and the patient number is It is bar-coded (one-dimensional code), and the billing amount is printed and coded with a two-dimensional code. If it is coded, it can be read with high accuracy, but if not, it is also possible to specify the patient number and billing amount area of the receipt rc in advance and read it by OCR (Optical Code Reader) processing. These can all be extracted from the image data d read by the scanner 2 using a general-purpose technique.

(Patient terminal)
The patient terminal C makes a request to the post-processing server HP via the Internet N, confirms the user registration and settlement result, and browses the receipt rc. The patient terminal C may be a personal computer, a smart phone, or a mobile phone, but a web browser must be installed.

(Deferred payment processing server)
Next, the configuration of the deferred payment processing server HP will be described. FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram showing the configuration of the deferred payment processing server HP shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 3 , the postpaid processing server HP has an input section 21 , a display section 22 , a communication section 23 , a control section 20 and a storage section 29 .

The input unit 21 is an input device such as a keyboard or mouse, and the display unit 22 is a display device such as a liquid crystal display. The communication unit 23 is connected to the Internet N.

The control unit 20 comprises a computer in which a CPU (Central Processing Unit), an internal memory, an input/output unit, and an external memory are appropriately combined, and an OS (Operating System) and software are installed.
The control unit 20 includes a web management unit 20a, a data management unit 20b, and a settlement management unit 20c.
The WEB management unit 20a exchanges payment information and payment results with a payment server SB, which will be described later, and also exchanges image data d from the deferred payment acceptance terminal 3, for example.
The data management unit 20b extracts the image data d and payment information, and manages the registration information D1. It also manages a billing list, which will be described later. Furthermore, it manages various screens viewed from the patient terminal C and the terminal 3 for accepting postpayment.
The payment management unit 20c manages payment information and creates a payment list L and a payment management screen G2.

The storage unit 29 is configured by a storage device such as an HDD (hard disk device) or an SSD (flash memory or the like). The storage unit 29 has a registration information database 29a, an image information database 29b, and a claim list database 29c.
The registration information database 29a stores the registration information D1, and the image information database 29b classifies and stores the image information d transmitted from the deferred payment reception terminal 3 using the date, facility ID, patient ID, etc. The list database 29c stores an invoice list L, and billing information D2, settlement information D3, settlement results D4, an unsettled invoice list L1, a settled invoice list L2, and an error invoice list generated in relation to this. Record L3, etc.
The post-payment processing server HP can also configure these functions for each function, such as a WEB server, an image information server, and a database server.

Next, the processing flow of the post-processing system S of this example will be described. Before that, let's talk about pre-registration.
(Pre-registration of terminals accepting post-payment)
When the deferred payment settlement process of this example is performed, the deferred payment receiving terminal 3 needs to be pre-registered in the post-processing server HP before use. At least the facility code and password settings are typically set during initial startup (setting screen not shown).
After this usage registration is completed, the postpaid reception terminal 3 can access the terminal login screen G1 as shown in FIG. When the facility code and password are entered on this screen G1 and the login button B is clicked, the payment management screen G2 for the deferred payment process shown in FIG. 11 can be accessed. In addition, as shown in FIG. 10, a password can be stored.
(Patient pre-registration)
When performing the deferred payment settlement processing of this example, it is necessary for the patient to perform two pre-registrations before use.
The first is registration for use with the post-processing server HP, and the second is registration for use with the settlement server SB. One of the premises for this is that a patient who is to be registered for post-payment use has a history of consultation with a medical institution A in advance, and a patient ID written on a patient registration card or the like is issued by the medical institution A. Another is that the medical institution A and the payment server SB share a medical institution ID (facility code) in advance, and for individual payments, the format of the user ID including the medical institution ID and the patient ID is used. has been decided in advance.

(Registration to the patient's post-processing server)
Registration for use of the first post-processing server HP is performed as follows (FIGS. 6 and 8).
The patient can access the new registration screen C3 of the post-payment processing server HP from the patient terminal C as shown in FIG. The patient enters the patient ID, name, date of birth, contact e-mail address, and password in the respective entry fields shown in FIG. Then, when the use registration application button B3 is clicked, the patient's use registration is carried out on the deferred payment processing server HP for the entered items. In this example, when registering, it is necessary to read the terms of use and indicate your intention to check the agreement.
Next, the deferred payment processing server HP transmits a credit registration request to the external settlement server SB to check whether credit settlement is ready. When the settlement server, which will be described later, is registered for use, the settlement server SB transmits registration OK. Upon receiving this, the post-payment processing server HP confirms the registration and permits the patient terminal C to register. Send an email to that effect. If the patient's payment server SB has not been registered for use in the previous credit registration request for the patient's post-processing server use registration, the user is redirected to the payment server use registration screen (not shown) to prompt for use registration. You may do so.
By this use registration process, the registration information D1 including the patient ID for which the deferred payment settlement process is permitted is generated in the deferred payment process server HP in advance. The registration information D1 may be generated by other methods.
After completing this usage registration, the patient can access the patient login screen C1 as shown in FIG. By entering the patient ID and password from this screen C1 and clicking the login button B, the patient can access the patient payment management screen (my page) C2 for post-payment processing shown in FIG. In addition, as shown in FIG. 9, a password can be stored.

(Registration of patient to payment server)
Registration for use of the second settlement server HP can be performed as follows.
The patient accesses the registration screen (not shown) of the settlement server SB from the patient terminal C.
A patient enters, for example, his or her name, credit card number, password, valid date, security code, patient ID, medical institution ID, etc. in the input fields to register for use.
It should be noted that use registration is associated with user IDs including patient IDs and medical institution IDs. The user ID is a user (patient) ID shared with the settlement server SB.

(Operation when a patient visits a medical institution)
Next, an example of operation of post-processing settlement when a patient visits a medical institution will be described with reference to FIG.
As shown in FIG. 7A, when the registration is completed, a "registration mail" is sent from the post-processing server HP to the patient terminal C via the Internet N. As shown in FIG. As a result, the patient learns that the "registration process" is performed and the post-payment process at the medical institution A becomes possible.

As shown in FIG. 7(b), when a patient who has completed registration visits a medical institution A with deferred payment, he or she presents an already issued "medical examination card" (on which the patient ID is written) to the reception desk. At this time, offer "hope for deferred payment". It is preferable to hand over the postpaid card to the patient at the reception counter, as this will make it clear that the payment is postpaid. At many medical institutions, after the reception, the patient registration card, the reception card with the reception number, and the medical record (in the case of paper-based) are put in a clear file and handed over to the patient at the reception counter. be able to. The patient takes this clear file and undergoes a medical examination in the examination room.
It should be noted that an operator (person in charge of reception) at the reception desk of the medical institution A that has received the request for deferred payment may be able to confirm the registration information D1 of the post-processing server HP from the deferred payment reception terminal 3 . In this way, it can be easily confirmed that the deferred payment processing is possible.

As shown in FIG. 7(c), the patient submits the deferred payment card to the accounting counter together with the clear file after the medical treatment is completed, and leaves the medical institution A after the examination is completed and the deferred payment is confirmed. can be done.
After this, the operator (accounting staff) calculates the amount billed and processes the deferred payment. It is efficient because it can be done.
The postpayment processing can be started by calculating the amount billed to the patient in the deferred payment processing in the existing accounting system E and outputting the receipt rc containing the billed amount and the patient ID.

(Input operation of deferred payment reception terminal)
The operator (person in charge of accounting) uses the scanner 2 to sequentially scan the receipts rc output by the existing accounting system E, and inputs them to the post-payment reception terminal 3 as image data d. The post-payment acceptance terminal 3 temporarily stores the receipt rc as an image data file d (converted to PDF in this example) and uploads it to the post-payment processing server HP together with the medical institution ID (facility ID). Note that the image data d is not limited to PDF.
After receiving the uploaded image data d, the post-payment processing server HP uses the registration information D1 to record the image data d in the image database using the medical institution ID, patient ID, and date as key information.

(Creation of billing information for postpaid terminal)
FIG. 11 shows the settlement management screen G2 of the deferred payment acceptance terminal 3. As shown in FIG. This screen G2 is an example of a settlement management screen for post-processing settlement, and is a screen for the operator to request and manage settlement. The post-payment receiving terminal 3 is connected to the post-processing server HP via the Internet N, and functions as a browser capable of displaying and inputting/outputting processing performed by the post-processing server HP.
The screen of FIG. 11 displays the code (facility ID) of the medical institution that performs the post-processing payment and its name as the "facility code", and additionally displays the date when the processing is to be performed as the date. . Below that, an unsettled invoice list L1, a settled invoice list L2, and an error invoice list L3 are shown.
The unsettled invoice list L1 displays the date, patient ID, patient name, and uncollected amount as a list. The date is the date when the receipt rc was input, and the patient ID and patient name are associated with the image data d and the registration information D1. The uncollected amount is the amount billed to the patient read from the receipt rc.
The settled bill list L2 displays the date, patient ID, patient name, and settlement amount as a list. The date is the date the payment was requested, and the patient ID is associated with the image data d and the registration information D1. The settlement amount is the amount of settlement made by the settlement server SB.
The error invoice list L3 displays the date, patient ID, patient name, and settlement amount as a list. The date is the date the payment was requested, and the patient ID and patient name are associated with the image data d and the registration information D1. The settlement amount is the amount billed to the patient read from the receipt rc.
It should be noted that each bill list L1, L2, L3 can be made to display as required depending on the number of bills.

(Billing data creation button, payment execution button)
The settlement management screen G2 of FIG. 11 includes a billing data creation button B1 for creating and displaying an unsettled invoice list L1 based on information uploaded from the post-payment receiving terminal 3 on the post-processing server HP, and an unsettled invoice list L1. A settlement execution button B2 is shown for transmitting the settlement processing item for each patient ID displayed in , to the settlement server SB for settlement.
When the billing data creation button B1 is clicked, the bills to be settled are displayed in the unsettled invoice list L1. The operator can check whether there is any mistake by referring to the entered receipt rc. The displayed information is created by the post-processing server HP from the registered information 1 in addition to the data extracted from the image data d and the uploaded information associated therewith.
Also, if the reading of the receipt rc fails, it is displayed in the error invoice L3 instead of the unsettled invoice list L1. In this case, the operator can perform necessary processing such as reloading.
In this way, the operator is made to confirm whether the billing is correct before the payment is made by the payment server SB, so that the correct payment can be made. After confirmation, when the operator clicks the payment execution button B2, the payment information D3 is transmitted to the payment server SB and payment is made. In this case, the payment information D3 does not use the patient ID, but includes the user ID and the billed amount.

The settlement server SB may be a settlement agent server. In that case, the user ID and the settlement result D4, which is the billing processing result, are sent from an external server that actually performs the settlement to the deferred payment processing server HP. After that, the deferred payment processing server HP transfers the matter to the settled invoice list L2 based on the settlement result D4, and deletes it from the unsettled invoice list L1. As a result, the operator viewing the payment status on the payment management screen G2 (FIG. 11) from the deferred payment reception terminal 3 can know that the payment processing has been completed. On the screen of the list of settled invoices L2, if the settlement process has not been performed on the day, it is possible to display "Today's settlement process has not been performed" as information for the operator. .

(Notification to Patients, etc.)
After completing the payment, the post-payment processing server HP sends an e-mail to the e-mail address registered in the patient terminal C to notify that the payment has been completed.
On the other hand, if the operator confirms the settlement request screen G2 (FIG. 11), he or she can refer to the settled invoice list L2 to know with certainty whether or not the settlement of the matter has been completed.

(Patient management screen)
12 shows a patient payment management screen (my page screen) C2 of the patient terminal C. As shown in FIG. This screen is an example of the patient payment management screen C2 for post-processing payment, and is used by the patient to confirm the processing of post-payment payments. The patient terminal C is connected to the post-processing server HP via the Internet N and functions as a browser capable of displaying and inputting/outputting the processing performed by the post-processing server HP. Any of smartphones, PCs, mobile phones, etc., can be used.
The screen G2 shown in FIG. 12 displays "Deferred payment only" and displays the name of the medical institution that performs the post-processing payment. It is clear that Underneath this, the history of visits, that is, the history of post-processing is described as a "list of hospital visits", and the date, billing amount, and whether or not a receipt is issued are displayed. The circle in the Receipt Issuance column indicates that a receipt can be issued, that is, that the deferred payment process has been completed. changed to "paid".
To change the payment method, click the payment method change button B4. In this case, the case of specifying the payment method for new registration is also included. On the screen G2, since the credit card has not been registered, "Please register the credit card." is displayed.

As described above, in this example, the post-payment receiving terminal 3 and the post-payment processing server HP are simply configured to be connected to the Internet N, and the post-processing server HP uses the claim list L to manage various information for each claim. As a result, the deferred payment processing can be reliably executed. In addition, the post-payment processing server HP sends an e-mail to the patient terminal C via the Internet N based on the settlement result of the post-payment settlement processing, notifying that the settlement has been completed and allowing the image data d of the receipt rc to be transmitted. Therefore, the receipt rc can be reliably sent to the patient in a paperless manner at the patient's option, and the human labor for handling this can be reduced at the medical institution.

(Claim list L)
Based on the information (No. 1 to No. 5) transmitted and extracted when uploading the image data and the patient registration information (No. 1 to No. 4) D1 stored in advance, the post-payment processing server HP Create a claim list L (Fig. 2).
The claim list L is a record in which the patient ID for each receipt handled by the deferred payment processing server HP is used as key information.
As shown in FIG. 2, the "patient ID", "patient name", "patient email address", and "Pwd" (password) can be obtained by the post-payment processing server HP when the patient registers for use. For the purpose of specifying the patient more precisely, the "patient's date of birth" may be added.
In addition, with the patient ID as key information, the post-payment reception terminal 3 transmits the image data d of the receipt rc ( When uploading), the post-payment processing server HP can acquire it.
Furthermore, similarly, with the patient ID as key information, the "user ID" is notified to the deferred payment processing server HP when the settlement server SB registers the settlement. When a patient registers for use with the payment server SB, the payment server SB issues the user ID so that the patient ID and facility ID are included in the user ID.
Based on such a billing list L, the post-payment processing server HP updates the information on the payment management screen G2 and the patient management screen C2.
Further, the post-payment processing server HP generates and manages billing information D2 used for settlement accompanying medical treatment. Further, upon receiving the payment command t from the reception terminal 3, the payment information D3 is created, and the payment information D3 is transmitted to the payment server SB to make the payment to the payment server SB. At this time, the settlement status is recorded with a settlement information creation flag, a settlement result creation flag, a PDF sent flag, and the like.

<Processing procedure by post-payment reception terminal 3>
Next, the details of the processing procedure of the deferred payment settlement for medical expenses in this example using the deferred payment processing server HP and the deferred payment reception terminal 3 will be described.
FIG. 5 is a flow chart showing a deferred payment settlement processing procedure by the deferred payment receiving terminal 3. As shown in FIG.

(Step S31: Receipt reading process)
As shown in FIG. 5, first, the deferred payment receiving terminal 3 reads the image data d of the receipt rc output by the existing accounting system E through the scanner 2, converts it into PDF, and stores it.
When the operator inputs the receipt rc into the scanner 2, the image data d is input into the deferred payment acceptance terminal 3 as PDF.

(Step S32: PDF transmission processing)
The post-payment acceptance terminal 3 then transmits the converted PDF to the post-payment processing server HP together with the facility ID and the date.

(Step S33: Deferred payment settlement claim processing)
FIG. 10 shows an example of the home page (login screen) of the terminal 3 for accepting postpayment. The "facility code" corresponds to the hospital code. When the operator enters the facility code and the pre-registered password on this screen and clicks the login button B, the login request is sent to the post-payment processing server HP, and the post-payment reception terminal 3 performs the settlement management shown in FIG. Screen G2 can be accessed.
As shown in FIG. 11, a settlement management screen G2 is displayed, and it is possible to browse an unsettled bill list L1, a settled bill list L2, and an error bill list L3 of the hospital (facility) for each date with respect to the patient. can.
When the operator clicks the billing data creation button B1, the post-processing server HP extracts billing information D2 from the uploaded PDF image data d. If it is correctly extracted, it is listed up in an unsettled invoice list L1, and if it is not correctly extracted, it is listed up and displayed in an error invoice list L3.

(Step 34: Deferred payment settlement confirmation processing)
The operator can now check if the receipt rc was read correctly. After confirming that there is no problem, when the payment execution button B2 is clicked, the postpayment processing server HP writes the status to the billing list L, generates payment information D3, causes the payment server SB to perform payment processing, and outputs the payment result D4. let me know.
In the settlement result D4, the correctly settled settlement item moves from the unsettled invoice list L1 to the settled invoice list L2 on the screen G2.

<Procedure of payment processing in this example>
FIG. 6 is a sequence diagram showing the settlement processing procedure of the deferred payment system S of this example.

When the operator inputs the printed receipt rc from the scanner 2, the post-payment acceptance terminal 3 prepares the PDF as the image data d, immediately attaches the facility ID (facility code), and transmits it to the post-payment processing server HP. (1).
When the deferred payment processing server HP receives the image data d of the receipt rc, the data management unit 20b stores it in the PDF file database 29b and waits (step S501). When the post-payment processing server HP receives the billing data creation command B1 from the post-payment reception terminal 3, it extracts the patient ID and billing amount included in the target image data d, writes them in the billing list L, and updates the payment screen G2. . The operator confirms on the settlement screen G2 from the postpayment reception terminal 3 whether the extraction is correct or not, and if so, gives the settlement command t to the postpayment processing server HP at the timing required for settlement (2). Triggered by this payment command t, the payment management unit 20c picks up the user ID of the payment server SB including the patient ID from the billing list L, and transmits the payment information D3 including this user ID and the billed amount and the payment request. (step S502).

The settlement server SB makes the settlement and transmits the settlement result D4, which is the settlement result, to the postpayment processing server HP (step S503). is updated (step S504). At the same time, the management screen C2 of the patient terminal C is updated (step S505).

The operator confirms the settlement management screen G2 (3), and can perform reconciliation processing of the amount billed for the patient ID indicated by the settlement result D4 to the existing accounting system E for the matter for which accounting has been completed (4). . As a result, in the existing accounting system E, the fact that the calculated medical expenses have been collected is input, and the existing accounting system E completes the accounting processing in the same manner as the normal accounting processing without deferred payment.

In this example, as described above, the deferred payment processing in cooperation with the existing accounting system E is performed with a simple hardware configuration in which the deferred payment receiving terminal 3 is connected to the Internet N capable of communicating with the deferred payment processing server HP with little operator intervention. can be run with In other words, the existing accounting system E can be used as is to reduce human labor.

In this example, for deferred payment processing when it is difficult to introduce a large-scale deferred payment settlement system at a medical institution, manual reconciliation processing can be minimized, and the labor of receptionists and accountants can be reduced. can be done.
Furthermore, in this example, since deferred payment is possible, the accounting processing work for this is reduced, so the waiting time for accounting within the medical institution A can be reduced, and the accounting processing can be speeded up.
In addition, in this example, the patient who performs deferred payment processing can reduce the time spent in the medical institution (especially the waiting room).

In addition, in this example, the receipt rc of the payment can be sent as electronic data to the patient terminal C or a terminal such as a PC, which contributes to paperless society and a digitalized society.

In addition, in this example, registration processing for deferred payment settlement can be performed using a terminal such as the patient terminal C or a PC, and advance usage registration processing is easier than usage registration processing described on a registration form.

In addition, in this example, the patient ID is converted into the user ID of the settlement server SB, and a settlement request including this user ID and the billing amount is issued to the settlement server SB, so high security can be maintained. can be done.

In this example, the case where the payment processing server SB performs deferred payment processing using a credit card has been described, but deferred payment processing such as bank account transfer or convenience store payment may be performed without being limited to credit cards. In this case, the settlement server SB can be a server for bank account transfer or convenience store settlement.

Another aspect of the present invention is as follows.
The present invention
A post-payment system S in which a payment server SB, a patient terminal C, a post-payment reception terminal 3, and a post-payment processing server HP are connected via the Internet N for post-payment processing of medical fees,
The post-processing server HP
having a billing list L that manages each billing item using patient ID as key information;
The claim list L stores patient registration information D1, claim information D2, payment information D3, and payment result D4. To create L3,
The image data d of the patient's medical treatment receipt rc input to the post-payment reception terminal 3 is uploaded to the post-payment processing server HP to extract billing information D2, and the patient's registration information D1 held in advance and the extracted billing are extracted. The settlement information D3 is confirmed from the information D2, the settled settlement concession is transmitted to the external settlement server SB for settlement, the settlement result D4 is received, and the settlement result D4 is displayed on the patient terminal C3 and the post-payment acceptance terminal 3. To provide a deferred payment system S for confirming completion of settlement and displaying a receipt rc on a deferred payment receiving terminal 3. - 特許庁
As a result, it is possible to provide a highly versatile system S that performs post-payment settlement processing for medical fees, which can efficiently perform accounting processing while utilizing various existing accounting systems as they are.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The deferred payment system for performing deferred payment settlement processing for medical fees according to the present invention is useful in cases where deferred payment results in a long accounting waiting time for a service having an existing accounting system.

2 scanner 3 deferred payment reception terminal 20 control unit 20a web management unit 20b data management unit 20c payment management unit 21 input unit 22 display unit 23 communication unit
29 storage unit, 29a registration information, 29b PDF file, 29c invoice list 30 control unit, 30a PDF generation unit, 30b PDF transmission unit, 30c payment confirmation unit 31 input unit, 32 display unit, 33 LAN, 35 printing unit 39 storage Part A Medical institution B1 Billing data creation button B2 Payment execution button B3 Use registration button B4 Payment method change button C Patient terminal C1 Patient login screen C2 Payment management screen (my page) C3 Use registration screen D1 Registration information D2 Billing information, D3 Payment information, D4 Payment result E Existing accounting system G1 Terminal login screen, G2 Payment management screen L Billing list N Internet S Post-payment system SB Payment server HP Post-payment processing server d Image data, PDF image data rc Receipt t Settlement command u Receipt display command

Claims (8)

A post-payment processing server (HP) connected to a payment server (SB), a patient terminal (C), and a post-payment reception terminal (3) via the Internet (N) in order to perform deferred payment processing of medical fees,
The post-payment processing server (HP) enables access via a browser from the post-payment acceptance terminal (3),
Pre-store registration information (D1) including ID information of a patient who uses deferred payment,
Image data (d) of a receipt (rc) on which the details of the medical fee for the patient output by the existing accounting system (E) is input to the post-payment reception terminal (3) via the image processing unit (2) ; Receive the medical institution ID ,
extracting billing information (D2) including the patient's billing amount from the image data (d);
Based on the billing information (D2) and the registration information (D1) , a record of data using the patient ID for each receipt of the patient as key information, comprising patient ID, billing amount, medical institution ID, and payment A screen for generating a billing list (L) containing status information and for the operator to check the settlement status. create a payment management screen (G2) that displays a list of invoices (L2) and an error invoice list (L3) that displays payment items for which reading of receipts has failed ,
Generate payment information (D3) including the billed amount to be sent to the payment server based on the billing list (L), receive the payment command (t) sent from the post-payment acceptance terminal (3), Sending the payment information (D3) to the payment server (SB) to make payment;
The received payment result (D4) is displayed on the payment management screen (G2), and when it is determined that the payment is completed, completion is written in the claim list (L) and payment completion is sent to the patient terminal (C). A post-payment processing server (HP) of a post-payment system (S) that performs post-payment settlement processing of medical fees, which transmits notifications. 2. The post-payment processing server (HP) according to claim 1, wherein all or part of the content of the claim list (L) can be browsed and edited by the post-payment acceptance terminal (3). The registration information (D1) is at least a patient ID and an email address,
The payment information (D3) is at least a user ID and a billing amount,
The post-payment processing server (HP) according to claim 1 or 2. The post-payment processing server (HP) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein said registration information is provided to said post-payment processing server (HP) via said patient terminal. The post-payment processing server (HP) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein said billing information is extracted using a patient ID as key information in said extraction. A post -payment processing system comprising a post-payment processing server (HP) according to any one of claims 1 to 5 and a post-payment reception terminal (3) connected via the Internet (N) for post-payment settlement processing of medical fees. (S)
The deferred payment acceptance terminal (3)
The receipt (rc) containing details of medical fees for the patient output by the existing accounting system (E) is read as image data (d) via the image processing unit (2),
Uploading the image data (d) to the post-payment processing server (HP) in order to extract billing information (D2),
The post-payment processing server (HP) is caused to create a payment management screen (G2) containing payment information (D3) , and then the payment command (t) input from the payment management screen (G2) is sent to the post-payment processing server (HP). ) to process the payment,
A deferred payment processing system (S) that displays the settlement result (D4) on the settlement management screen (G2). A post -payment processing server (HP), a payment server (SB), and a patient terminal according to any one of claims 1 to 5, which are connected via the Internet (N) in order to register for use of deferred payment processing of medical expenses. A postpaid processing system (S) comprising (C),
The patient terminal (C)
displaying a usage registration screen (C3) for inputting registration information (D1) for postpayment processing on the postpayment processing server (HP);
Next, a post- payment processing system (S) that transmits the registration information (D1) entered by the patient to the post-payment processing server (HP) and the settlement server (SB) and stores them respectively. Furthermore, the patient terminal (C)
Displaying a settlement management screen (C2) including settlement results (D4) of the deferred payment processing from the claim list (L) stored in the postpay processing server (HP);
Next, a receipt display command (u) input by the patient is transmitted to the post-payment processing server (HP), and image data (d) of the receipt (rc) is displayed on the post-payment processing server (HP). 8. Post- payment processing system (S) according to 7 above.

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