To create decisions using a pattern date list, the eligibility and entitlement engine builds up a list of dates between the eligibility and entitlement engine from date and the eligibility and entitlement engine to date using the delivery frequency of the primary client and the re-rate frequency of the case being assessed. The eligibility and entitlement engine then calls the rules engine to create a decision for each one of these dates. A decision is the determination of eligibility and entitlement on a specific date based on the application of rules to evidence. Decision eligibility indicates whether or not the client or clients being assessed are eligible for a particular product. Eligibility entitlement indicates how much the client or clients being assessed are eligible for (entitlement can be a payment amount or a billing amount depending on the product type).
As the eligibility and entitlement engine creates each decision, it compares the new decision to the previously created decision to find any decision changes. If any of the contiguous decisions are different, the eligibility and entitlement engine enhances the list of dates with every date between the two decision dates. It then calls the rules engine to create a decision for each one of these new dates. Once the eligibility and entitlement engine has created decisions for all the necessary dates by calling the rules engine, all identical, contiguous decisions are rolled up into one decision covering the necessary time period.
The main benefit for using the pattern date list is that it eliminates the need for a developer to decide in advance the dates the rules engine is called. Also, the eligibility and entitlement engine knows to enhance the list of dates with every date between two decisions that differ in order to find the exact date between the decision dates.