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Insurance Abstract
A business method 200 which may use an apparatus 10 to profitably
and continually determine the identity of those within a predetermined
group of individuals who lack required or desired insurance.
Insurance Claims
1) A method for conducting business which comprises the steps of
identifying those individuals who do not have a certain type insurance
required by a governmental entity; and profitably reporting the
identified individuals to a client.
2) The method of claim 1 wherein said client comprises a governmental
entity.
3) The method of claim 1 wherein said step of profitably reporting,
the identified individuals comprises the steps of charging an annual
subscription fee; and charging a certain amount of money each time
said client requests said identified information.
4) The method of claim 1 wherein said identified individuals comprise
physician.
5) The method of claim 1 wherein said identified individuals comprises
motor vehicle owners.
6) The method of claim 1 wherein said identified individuals comprise
dentists.
7) The method of claim 1 wherein said identified individually comprise
builders.
8) The method of claim 1 wherein said step of profitably reporting
the identified individuals comprises initially licensing the information
to an entity; and obtaining license fees.
9) A method for conducting business which comprises the steps of
identifying a governmental entity; identifying insurance required
by said governmental entity; identifying all individuals who are
required to have said insurance; continually monitoring whether
said identified individuals have and maintain said insurance; and
profitably reporting whether said identified individuals have and
maintain said insurance to a governmental entity.
10) The method of claim 9 wherein said identified individuals comprise
physicians.
11) The method of claim 9 wherein said identified individuals comprises
motor vehicle owner.
12) The method of claim 9 wherein said identified individuals comprises
dentists.
13) The method of claim 9 wherein said identified individuals comprises
builders.
14) The method of claim 9 wherein said step of profitably reporting
the identified individuals comprises the steps of charging an annual
subscription fee; and charging a certain amount of money each time
said client requests said identified information.
15) A method for conducting business which comprises the steps
of creating a first database of individuals required to carry insurance
within a certain first geographic area; creating a second database
of individuals required to carry insurance within a certain second
geographic area; continually updating said first and second databases;
contracting with a first entity to provide said first database for
a certain amount of money; and contracting with a second entity
to provide said second database for a certain second amount of money,
while allowing said first and second entities to respectfully provide
said first and second databases to others for profit.
16) The method of claim 15 wherein said identified individuals
comprise physician.
17) The method of claim 15 wherein said identified individuals
comprises motor vehicle owners.
18) The method of claim 15 wherein said identified individuals
comprises dentists.
19) The method of claim 15 wherein said identified individuals
comprise builders.
20) The method of claim 15 wherein said step of profitably reporting
the identified individuals comprises the steps of changing an annual
subscription fee; and changing a certain amount of money each time
said client requests said identified information.
Insurance Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention generally relates to a business method
for profitably determining the identity of those who have failed
to maintain insurance and in one non-limiting embodiment, continually
providing such monitoring services.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Many states and other governmental entities require companies
and individuals to continually maintain a certain insurance policy.
For example and without limitation, many states require an operator
of a motor vehicle to obtain vehicular insurance before the vehicle
is "officially" or legally registered within the state.
By way of a second example and without limitation, many states require
that doctors and other healthcare professionals have or "carry"
malpractice coverage before they can obtain a renewal of their license.
[0003] While some of these states or other governmental entities
do attempt to regulate this coverage, such attempts have many drawbacks.
By way of example and without limitation, perhaps the most common
attempt is to ensure that the required policy is in full force and
effect when the registration or license is issued or certified.
[0004] However, while this approach does provide some means of
checking to see whether insurance has been purchased, this common
approach does not prevent one from later canceling or failing to
maintain their coverage once the desired registration or license
is issued, thereby reducing the overall expenses of the individual
and circumventing the various promulgated requirements.
[0005] No other known approach provides such a continual monitoring
or update, as the approach which is described within this description,
and no other known approach is profitably used as part of an overall
business strategy as is the approach which is set forth in this
description. Accordingly, the present invention overcomes some or
all of the various drawbacks associated with prior approaches in
a new and novel fashion and represents a novel business strategy
to meet and overcome the states, governmental authorities, of various
and other clients. The methodology also enables the public (e.g.,
subscribers) to determine if a certain individual is covered by
insurance, even if not required to be so covered by the state.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] It is a first non-limiting object of the present invention
to provide a business strategy for profitably and continually monitoring
the identity of those who have failed to lawfully acquire and/or
maintain insurance coverage.
[0007] It is a second non-limiting object of the present invention
to provide a business strategy for profitably and continually monitoring
the identity of those who have failed to lawfully acquire and/or
maintain insurance coverage and which does so in an automatic manner.
[0008] It is a third non-limiting object of the present invention
to provide a business strategy and technique which requires the
identification of uninsured individuals and the use of such uninsured
information to obtain a profit.
[0009] According to a first non-limiting aspect of the present
invention, a method for conducting business is provided. Particularly,
the method includes the steps of identifying those who do not have
insurance required by a governmental entity; and profitably reporting
the identified information to said governmental entity.
[0010] According to a second non-limiting aspect of the present
invention, a method for conducting business is provided. Particularly,
the method includes the steps of identifying a governmental entity;
identifying insurance required by the governmental entity; identifying
all individuals who are required to have the insurance; continually
monitoring whether the identified individuals have and maintain
the insurance; and profitably reporting whether the identified individuals
have and maintain the insurance to a governmental entity.
[0011] According to a third non-limiting aspect of the present
invention, a method for conducting business is provided and includes
the steps of creating a first database of individuals required to
carry insurance within a certain first geographic area; creating
a second database of individuals required to carry insurance within
a certain second geographic area; continually updating the first
and second databases; contracting with a first entity to provide
the first database for a certain amount of money; and contracting
with a second entity to provide the second database for a certain
second amount of money, while allowing the first and second entities
to respectfully provide the first and second databases to others
for profit.
[0012] These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the
present invention will become apparent from a reading of the following
detailed description of the preferred embodiment of the invention,
by reference to the subjoined claims, and by reference to the attached
drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0013] FIG. 1 is an apparatus which may be utilized by the business
methodology of the preferred embodiment of the invention; and
[0014] FIG. 2 is a flow chart which illustrates the business methodology
of the preferred embodiment of the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION
[0015] Referring now to FIG. 1, there is shown a computer system
10 which may be utilized by the methodology of the preferred embodiment
of the invention.
[0016] As shown, the computer system 10 includes a processing/data
capture and analysis portion 12, at least on input device 14, and
at least one display portion 16. The portion 12 includes a processor
portion 18 which, in one non-limiting embodiment of the invention
comprises a Pentium 4.RTM. or other commercially available processor,
a memory portion 20, and an input and output portion 22.
[0017] Particularly, the processor portion 18 is physically and
communicatively coupled to the input/output portion 22 by the use
of bus 26 and the processor portion 18 is physically and communicatively
coupled to the memory portion 20 by the use of bus 28. Further,
the processor portion 18 is adapted to be selectively coupled to
a source of electrical power 24 by the use of bus 30. As is further
shown, the input/output portion 22 is adapted to be selectively,
physically, and communicatively coupled to the display portion 16
and to the input device 14. The input/output portion 22 is further
adapted to communicatively coupled to at least one network 40 which,
in one non-limiting embodiment of the invention comprises a global
communications network, such as the Internet.
[0018] It should be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art
that the memory 20 is adapted to store the software and/or firmware
code which causes the system 10 to perform the methodology of the
invention and that this code is communicated to the processor portion
18 by the use of bus 28 in order to direct the processor portion
18 to perform these desired actions. Further, the memory 20 is adapted
to selectively receive, store, and communicate information to the
processor portion 18 and/or to the input/output portion 22 in order
to allow the methodology of the preferred embodiment of the invention
to be accomplished. Further, the input device 14, which may comprise
a keyboard, selectively provides information to the input/output
portion 22 and such information is displayed upon the display portion
16 and/or communicated to the processor portion 18 by the use of
bus 26. In this manner, a user of the system 10 may alter the control
program resident within the system 10, otherwise communicate information
to the processor portion 18, and/or receive output information from
the system 10. Such output information may, in one non-limiting
embodiment and as will be described below, comprise exception reports
or other forms of reporting information. Further, by the use of
the at least one network 40, such information may be shared and/or
communicated to a remote computer system and information may be
received from a remotely located computer system. Such received
information will be displayed upon display 16.
[0019] In one non-limiting embodiment of the invention, the remote
computer system belongs to and/or is used by a paying client or
"subscriber" of the owner/user of the system 10. It should
be appreciated that nothing in this description is meant to limit
the computer system 10 which is used by the methodology of the preferred
embodiment of the invention to a particular type of computer system.
Rather, the afore-described computer system 10 is meant only to
comprise an example of one type of computer system which may be
used by the preferred embodiment of the invention.
[0020] Referring now to FIG. 2, there is shown a flow chart 200
which represents the methodology of the preferred embodiment of
the invention. As shown, methodology 200 includes a first step 202
which defines or delineates the start of the methodology. Step 202
is followed by step 204 in which the identity of all those individuals
required to carry or have a certain type and/or amount of insurance
is identified. By way of example and without limitation, all vehicle
owners in a certain state who are required to carry auto insurance
are identified. Such information may be obtained from state licensing
records or from any other information source. A second non limiting
example might be all physicians who are licensed to practice within
a particular state are identified. Such physicians may, in one alternate
embodiment of the invention, need to carry insurance or a certain
amount of insurance. Alternatively, step 204 just identifies individuals
who someone (e.g., a prospective client) might want to know some
information about relative to insurance coverage. Thus, in one alternate
embodiment of the invention, the individuals identified in step
204 may or may not, as a group, actually need to carry or actually
have insurance. Rather, it may be deemed important to know if someone
has insurance (e.g., malpractice insurance) before beginning to
transact business with them. Further, other attributes such as age,
address, educational level, and wages may also be respectively associated
with each identified individual and stored with system 10.
[0021] Step 204 is followed by step 206 in which the processor
portion 18 determines whether the information concerning the identity
of those individuals who are identified in the previous step 204
needs to be updated. Such updating could be prompted by a user of
system 10 (e.g., by the generation of a command which is communicated
to the processor 18 through the input/output portion 22 and the
bus 26), or such updating could be automatically (i.e., without
human intervention) prompted by the software and/or firmware which
is resident within the memory 20 (e.g., at certain predetermined
intervals of time). If the processor 18 determines that an update
is needed (e.g., a certain amount of time since the last update
really has passed or a real command has been received from a user
of system 10), then step 206 is followed by step 208 in which an
update is done (e.g., by sending a request to the state for a new
identity of the pertinent individuals) and step 204 is then again
completed in order to place all of the identification information,
including the new updated information, within the memory 20. Alternatively,
step 206 is followed by step 210 in which the processor 18 determines
the identity of those who are actually insured. Such identification
information could be obtained from insurance or state records, or
manually placed within the memory 20 by a user of the system 10
having access to the input/output portion 22 and the input device
14.
[0022] Step 210 is followed by step 212 in which the processor
18 determines whether the foregoing "actually insured"
identification information needs to be updated (e.g., whether a
certain amount of predetermined time has passed since the last update
or whether an update command has been received from a user of the
system 10). If the processor 18 determines that an update is really
needed (e.g., a certain amount of time since the last update really
has passed or an actual update command has been received from a
user of the system 10), then step 212 is followed by step 214, in
which an update of the actually insured individuals is accomplished,
either manually be having the data input into the memory 20 by the
use of the input device 14, the input/output portion 22 and the
busses 26, 28 and the processor 18, or through the network 40. Step
214 is followed by step 210 in which this updated data is actually
placed within the memory 20.
[0023] Alternatively, step 212 is followed by step 216 in which
the information which was stored in step 204 is compared with the
information which was stored in step 210 to produce an exception
report (e.g., an identity of all those individuals of a certain
type, such as physicians or auto owners, who have no insurance.
Step 216 is followed by step 202. Alternatively or concurrently,
step 212 may be followed by step 218 in which other data may be
provided such as and without limitation, the age group of those
having the most instances of no insurance or the geographic location
of the most individuals having no insurance or the respective instances
of those having no insurance with respect to various respective
age groupings.
[0024] This information will then be "sold" to clients
or "subscribers" of the user or owner of the system 10,
either on an annual or periodic basis or on an access basis e.g.,
the combination of a flat, or annual subscription fee and a fee
each time the information is accessed). Further, multiple databases
may be created (e.g., for different states and profession) and these
databases may be selectively provided to licenses of the owner of
the system 10 in order to support a franchise activity. That is,
the license may then recall the obtained database within a certain
licensed geographic area or within a certain profession.
[0025] It is to be understood that the present invention is not
limited to the exact construction or method which has been illustrated
and described above, but that various changes and modifications
may be made to the afore described inventions without limiting the
generality of these various inventions as they are set forth in
the following claims. Such clients could vary from a governmental
entity (e.g., a department of the State Government) to someone seeking
services from one of the identified individuals (e.g., a builder).
In another non-limiting embodiment the actual insurance limits (if
any) for each identified individual are also selectively reported.
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