Credentialer/medical malpractice insurance collaboration

Abstract

An inventive process is disclosed for linking credentialing information with a medical malpractice insurance application. The credentialing information is automatically transferred from the credentialing questionnaire to an insurance application, and this credentialing information is then used to generate a medical malpractice insurance policy. The medical malpractice insurance policy is a two year policy, in order to coincide with the required re-credentialing of the healthcare provider. The inventive process also includes linking an information database, not created for insurance purposes, with an insurance application.

I claim:  
     
         1 . A process of linking credentialing information with a medical malpractice insurance application, the process comprising the steps of: 
 providing a physician, a credentialing entity, and a medical malpractice insurance participant;    providing a questionnaire for use in compiling credentialing information concerning the physician to create a first credentialing application, the questionnaire including means for obtaining the physician's permission for release of the credentialing information to the medical malpractice insurance participant;    forwarding the questionnaire from the credentialing entity to the medical malpractice insurance participant if the physician gave permission for release of the credentialing information;    providing the physician with at least one insurance premium quote generated by the medical malpractice insurance participant for use in generating a medical malpractice insurance policy for the physician based at least in part on the credentialing information;    preparing a medical malpractice insurance application for the physician;    transferring at least a portion of the credentialing information from the questionnaire to the medical malpractice insurance application;    completing the formation of the medical malpractice insurance application;    delivering the medical malpractice insurance application to the physician for the physician's review and approval;    generating the medical malpractice insurance policy to coincide with subsequent credentialing applications for the physician;    transferring the credentialing information from the medical malpractice insurance policy to the subsequent credentialing application;    generating a subsequent credentialing application; and,    sending the subsequent credentialing application to a healthcare organization to which the physician must provide the credentialing information.    
     
     
         2 . A process of linking credentialing information with a medical malpractice insurance application, the process comprising the steps of: 
 providing a healthcare provider, a credentialing entity and a medical malpractice insurance participant;    providing credentialing information concerning the healthcare provider to the credentialing entity;    forwarding at least a portion of the credentialing information from the credentialing entity to the medical malpractice insurance participant; and,    transferring the at least a portion of the credentialing information to a medical malpractice insurance application.    
     
     
         3 . The process of  claim 2 , wherein after forwarding at least a portion of the credentialing information from the credentialing entity to the medical malpractice insurance participant, the process comprises the step of: 
 providing the healthcare provider with at least one insurance premium quote for a medical malpractice insurance policy generated by the medical malpractice insurance participant.    
     
     
         4 . The process of  claim 2 , wherein the process further comprises the step of: 
 delivering the medical malpractice insurance application to the healthcare provider for the healthcare provider's review and approval.    
     
     
         5 . The process of  claim 4 , wherein the step of generating an insurance premium quote for a medical malpractice insurance policy comprises the steps of: 
 quoting the insurance premium to the healthcare provider; and,    selling the medical malpractice insurance policy to the healthcare provider.    
     
     
         6 . The process of  claim 5 , wherein the process further comprises the step of: 
 generating the medical malpractice insurance policy, the policy being a two-year policy, in order to coincide with a required re-credentialing procedure for the healthcare provider.    
     
     
         7 . The process of  claim 6 , wherein the step of forwarding the credentialing information to a medical malpractice insurance participant comprises the steps of: 
 inserting means for obtaining the healthcare providers permission for release of the credentialing information to a medical malpractice insurance provider into the questionnaire, and,    forwarding all of the credentialing questionnaires with an affirmative response to the medical malpractice insurance participant.    
     
     
         8 . The process of  claim 7 , wherein the process further comprises the steps of: 
 generating a second credentialing application;    transferring the credentialing information from the medical malpractice insurance application to the second credentialing application; and,    sending the second credentialing application to another health organization to which the physician must provide the credentialing information.    
     
     
         9 . The process of  claim 8 , wherein the process further comprises the step of: 
 repeating the preceding three steps as often as necessary.    
     
     
         10 . A process of linking an information database with an insurance application, the process comprising the steps of: 
 generating the information database for any non-insurance purpose;    forwarding at least a portion of the information from the information database to an insurance participant; and,    transferring the at least a portion of the information from the information database to an insurance application.    
     
     
         11 . The process of  claim 10 , wherein after forwarding at least a portion of the information from the information database to an insurance participant, the process comprises the step of: 
 providing at least one insurance premium quote generated by the insurance participant.    
     
     
         12 . The process of  claim 10 , wherein the process further comprises the step of: 
 delivering the insurance application to the customer for the customer's review and approval.    
     
     
         13 . The process of  claim 12 , wherein the step of generating at least one insurance premium quote comprises the steps of: 
 quoting the insurance premium to a customer; and,    selling insurance to the customer.    
     
     
         14 . The process of  claim 10 , wherein the step of generating the information database, the information database not being created for insurance purposes, comprises the step of: 
 providing a questionnaire for gathering information for the database.    
     
     
         15 . The process of  claim 14 , wherein the step of forwarding information from the database to an insurance participant comprises the steps of: 
 inserting a first question into the questionnaire, the first question asking a customer's permission for release of the information to the insurance participant;    inserting at least one more question into the questionnaire, the at least one more question for gathering further information related to a particular insurance product; and,    forwarding all of the questionnaires with an affirmative response to the first question to the insurance participant.    
     
     
         16 . The process of  claim 15 , wherein the step of inserting at least one more question into the questionnaire, the at least one more question for gathering further information related to a particular insurance product comprises the step of: 
 inserting at least one more question into the questionnaire, the at least one more question for gathering further information related to a particular insurance product, the particular insurance product chosen from any a line of insurance.    
     
     
         17 . The process of  claim 10 , wherein the step of generating the information database, the information database not being created for insurance purposes comprises the step of: 
 generating credentialing information, the credentialing information being compiled by a credentialing entity, the information being compiled onto a credentialing database.    
     
     
         18 . An apparatus for linking credentialing information with a medical malpractice insurance application, the apparatus comprising: 
 means for compiling credentialing information regarding a healthcare provider from a credentialing questionnaire;    means for forwarding the credentialing information to a medical malpractice insurance participant;    means for generating at least one insurance premium quote for a medical malpractice insurance policy; and,    means for transferring the credentialing information from the credentialing questionnaire to the medical malpractice insurance application.    
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of  claim 18 , wherein the apparatus further comprises means for generating the medical malpractice insurance policy, the policy being of a duration, in order to coincide with a required re-credentialing procedure for the healthcare provider.  
     
     
         20 . An apparatus for linking an information database with an insurance application, the apparatus comprising: 
 means for generating the information database for any non-insurance purpose;    means for forwarding at least a portion of the information from the information database to an insurance participant;    means for generating an insurance premium quote; and,    means for transferring the at least a portion of the information from the information database to an insurance application.    
     
     
         21 . The apparatus of  claim 20 , wherein the means for generating the information database comprises: 
 a means for providing a questionnaire for gathering information for the database.    
     
     
         22 . The apparatus of  claim 21 , wherein the means for generating a questionnaire for gathering information for the database comprises: 
 means for inserting a means for obtaining a customer's permission for release of the information to the insurance participant into the questionnaire;    means for inserting at least one more question into the questionnaire, the at least one more question for gathering further information related to a particular insurance product; and,    means for forwarding all of the questionnaires with an affirmative response to the first question to the insurance participant.    
     
     
         23 . A process of linking a medical malpractice insurance policy with a credentialing questionnaire, the process comprising the steps of: 
 providing a medical malpractice insurance participant;    providing a credentialing entity;    providing a healthcare provider;    providing a medical malpractice insurance policy; and,    transferring information from the medical malpractice insurance policy to the credentialing questionnaire.    
     
     
         24 . The process of  claim 23 , wherein transferring information from the medical malpractice insurance policy to the credentialing questionnaire comprises the steps of: 
 electronically transferring information from the medical malpractice insurance policy to the credentialing questionnaire; and,    forwarding the credentialing questionnaire to the healthcare provider for review and approval.    
     
     
         25 . A process for linking credentialing information with a medical malpractice insurance policy, the process comprising the steps of: 
 providing a healthcare provider, a credentialing entity, credentialing information, and a medical malpractice insurance participant;    providing means for obtaining the healthcare provider's permission to release the credentialing information to the medical malpractice insurance participant;    receiving permission from the healthcare provider to release the credentialing information;    forwarding at least a portion of the credentialing information from the credentialing entity to the medical malpractice insurance participant; and,    providing the healthcare provider with at least one insurance premium quote for a medical malpractice insurance policy generated by the medical malpractice insurance participant.    
     
     
         26 . The process of  claim 25 , wherein the process further comprises the steps of: 
 receiving the healthcare provider's approval of the at least one insurance premium quote; and,    creating a medical malpractice insurance policy.    
     
     
         27 . The process of  claim 26 , wherein providing the healthcare provider with at least one insurance premium quote for a medical malpractice insurance policy generated by the medical malpractice insurance participant comprises the steps of: 
 providing the healthcare provider with at least one insurance premium quote for a medical malpractice insurance policy generated by the medical malpractice insurance participant; and,    transferring the credentialing information to a medical malpractice insurance application.