Providing and Financing Post-Employment Health Care Benefits
AssigneeAetna Inc.
InventorsCharles Klippel, Rhonda L. Lessard
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A health account retirement plan (“HARP”) is described that can be used by a retiree for health care related expenses. Under the HARP, an employer pays an annual premium to an insurance company such as a health insurance company. In exchange, the insurer funds and administers health accounts for eligible employees at retirement. Employees become eligible for these benefits according to a pre-determined eligibility schedule comparable to a vesting schedule for pension benefit. Once eligible, if an employee retires, he can use the account for health care related expenses including both premiums and health claims.
Claims20
A method for providing a first employee of an employer with a health care account, the health care account funded and administered in exchange for periodic premium payments made by the employer and comprising funds for paying health care related claims made by the employee during the employee's retirement, the method comprising:
- crediting the health care account for one period in a fixed amount according to a contractual schedule established with the employer;
- and
- calculating an incremental premium to charge the employer for the one period in exchange for crediting and administering the account corresponding to the employee.
A method of receiving health care benefits from a health care account funded and administered by an insurer in exchange for periodic premium payments made by a former employer according to a contractual arrangement between the employer and the insurer, the method comprising:
- working as an employee of the employer for a required number of periodic intervals;
- satisfying an age threshold;
- and
- becoming vested in the health care account when the required number of intervals have been worked and the age threshold has been satisfied;
- wherein the required number of periodic intervals and age threshold are established via a contract between the employer and the insurer.
A method of providing a first employee with a health care account funded and administered by an insurer, the health care account providing health care benefits to the employee during the employee's retirement, the method comprising:
- providing demographic information to the insurer;
- and
- receiving a determined periodic premium charge from the insurer in exchange for funding and administering the health care account.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.