Keeping Track of Medical Bills
After a car accident that results in personal injury, there will be a lot to keep track of. Accident documentation, police reports, statements to insurance, medical information, and missed work records are important. Some statistics say up to 80% of medical billing may contain some form of error. Keeping a close account of your charges is a must. Additionally, your insurance provider and attorney will need copies of all expenses. It is essential to keep track of expenses and follow up on your medical billing for correct reimbursement.
To ensure you properly keep track of expenses, it’s necessary to have an easy to follow plan. It’s important to keep all relevant documentation pertaining to:
- Dates and times of appointments
- Days and hours missed from work
- Medications and doses
- Copies of receipts and checks for all costs and co-pays
- Copies of any bills and insurance claims
- Received insurance reimbursements
- Explanations of your benefits
Coming up with your own system of document management is perfectly fine. A good practice is to treat your medical information the same way you would treat your tax information. The more organized and detailed, the better.
A calendar can be incredibly beneficial. Record the dates of medical visits and procedures as well as the name of the doctor or facility in a calendar. You will be able to cross-reference your information on a day-by-day basis. If you keep a file cabinet or create a system where each date has a folder or some other file, you can pull information quickly upon request.
Medical Information Data Management
The same holds true for electronic records. In fact, you may prefer to keep records this way as the risk of loss is lessened. Google Drive is an easy way to store data off of your computer. By recording the data then backing it up off of your computer, you ensure that a damaged computer is no problem.
Software such as Open Office and Microsoft Excel is available should you want to create a spreadsheet. Just as with the paper calendar, a spreadsheet gives you even more options for cross-referencing your medical billing information.
Managing your medical billing data is an important first step to peace of mind after an injury. Managing this data can restore a sense of independence when depending on doctors and nurses. Taking charge of your information gives you total control of your life. You can be the point of control for information with your lawyer as well as your insurance.
Those less skilled in data management even have the option to get specialized software to handle everything for them. No matter how you choose to get the job done, there is absolutely no reason to get stressed out over managing your medical billing.
Having a legal team representing your interests the first step to ensuring your medical expenses, lost wages and property damage is fully accounted for. Call the personal injury attorneys at the Law Offices of L. Clayton Burgess to speak to our skilled team of accident case managers. We can help you know what information is vital to proper compensation. 877-234-7573
