Method and system for providing an on-line healthcare open market exchange

Abstract

An Internet-based competitive pricing and bidding transaction system includes one or more transaction processing servers that interface and communicate over the Internet with client computer systems of prospective online consumers, medical and professional/licensed services providers and a plurality of related information databases. The transaction processing system handles online communications and procedures for conducting auctions for delivery of proffered medical and professional/licensed services and maintains a registration database of service providers and online prospective consumers/bidders. Medical and professional/licensed services providers may include licensed doctors/nurses, licensed veterinary doctors/technicians as well as conventional homecare/hospice providers, physical therapy providers, babysitting and other professional caretaker services that can provided to/for man or animal. The online proffered services may include conventional medical treatment and/or veterinary services provided for animals, pets or other creatures. A professional license authentication/qualifier engine is provided which transparently and automatically researches, verifies and updates professional credentials, accreditations and background information of each professional service provider upon registration of that service provider with the transaction system, and makes that information available to prospective registered bidders online.

1 - 5 . (canceled) 
     
     
         6 . An apparatus for implementing an Internet accessible healthcare market exchange for licensed/professional service providers of human medical and/or veterinary or animal healthcare services, comprising:
 at least one server computer system having an interface for communicating over the Internet;   at least one bidding arbitration engine; and   at least one database search engine,   wherein an interactive on-line medical/healthcare services negotiation processing web-site is implemented by said server computer system, the web-site serving as a on-line healthcare market exchange for enabling one or more entities to participate in business transactions related to the receiving of medical/healthcare services from licensed/professional service providers of medical, veterinary and/or other healthcare services via the Internet.   
     
     
         7 . An on-line healthcare market exchange (HME) system implemented over the Internet, said system enabling one or more licensed/professional healthcare providers to proffer medical, veterinary and/or other healthcare services via the network, said system comprising:
 a computer system connected to the Internet;   a computer-readable storage device connected to said computer system for storing one or more information databases, including at least one database containing information concerning registered service consumers, at least one database containing information concerning registered service providers, and at least one database containing information concerning licensing/certification information for each registered service provider; and   a mechanism for controlling said computer system for maintaining said information databases and for causing the computer system to provide an interactive on-line Internet-accessible medical/healthcare services advertising and negotiations processing web-site for posting and managing on-line service fee negotiations between on-line consumers and licensed/professional service providers of medical, veterinary and/or other healthcare services, wherein an on-line consumer who accesses the web-site is enabled to participate in on-line auctions for proffered healthcare services.   
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 7  wherein said computer system further provides a user of said network with on-line access to information databases and services which interactively assist said user in conducting on-line research for determining an appropriate healthcare service provider. 
     
     
         9 . A method for providing an Internet accessible healthcare market exchange (HME) service for providing comparative pricing information and conducting negotiations and/or transactions for services between consumers and licensed/professional service providers of medical, veterinary and/or other healthcare services, comprising:
 providing at least one server computer system in communication with the Internet, said computer system comprising one or more servers and a plurality of databases for maintaining identification information and other data relating to on-line users and healthcare/medical service providers, said one or more servers hosting an interactive on-line healthcare services negotiations processing web-site wherein a user is enabled to conduct one or more transactions on-line via said web-site to obtain proffered healthcare services; and   using said server computer system to provide an Internet accessible web-site, said web-site functioning as an on-line healthcare market exchange for processing negotiations between one or more on-line consumers and one or more licensed/professional service providers of medical, veterinary and/or other healthcare services.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9  further comprising communicating with one or more servers based on a link or command defined by said website to validate a service provider's credentials.