he goal of a new Georgia health care program is to cut down on the costly heaps of paperwork that often slow down the processing of medical claims. As part of the new program, participants will be able to access information on physicians, eligibility, co-pay requirements, and benefit and claims status all via an Internet portal that is accessible through a kiosk or a PC. Health care providers also will have access to this information and will be able to enter claim information over the Internet.

The Internet portal program, called the Georgia Health Partnership (GHP), realizes the value technology brings to improving the speed and accuracy of processing medical insurance claims as well as reducing costs.

The GHP selected Hypercom Corp.'s Web-enabled ICE 7000CE touch screen POS terminals for Internet-based management of its public health programs. The GHP is also employing Affiliated Computer Services Inc. (ACS), an outsourcer of technology solutions, to manage its benefits and claims processing. Health care providers will be able to enter claim information electronically over the Internet to ACS, all with Hypercom's card payment terminals. The terminals will be placed in kiosks in state facilities and health care providers' offices.

"This technology platform gives the state the capability to dramatically cut time and costs currently associated with processing health care claims. And that is particularly important for technologically forward-thinking bellwether states like Georgia," said Walt Patterson, GHP Managing Director and ACS Vice President.

More than 2.5 million Georgia residents make up the GHP, which covers state employees, Medicaid recipients and uninsured children. As part of the program, the GHP will issue a plastic identification card to all of its members for use in the kiosks. "Dealing with paper document errors makes it even more time-consuming, frustrating and costly for everyone involved. By allowing claims to be entered electronically, we can help slash all of that," said O.B. Rawls IV, president, Hypercom North America.

With this health care industry alliance, Hypercom further expands into markets outside traditional retail payments.