Medicare officials by the end of this year hope to have a Web-based system for providers to check patients' eligibility and benefits in real-time, according to a report by Government IT Health. Hospital employees and others should be able to conduct real-time automated transactions by September, Karen Trudel, deputy director of CMS' Office of E-Health Standards and Services, told the National Committee on Vital and Health Statistics this week. CMS is testing a Web-based system that allows people to check the status of their Medicare claims and informs them when a claim payment has been deposited in their bank accounts. Trudel said it was unclear when CMS will allow Web-based claims submission, but it is something they are pursuing.