How to Track Health Insurance Claims

People should track their insurance claims to verify being charged the right amount, that the insurance paid the required portion of the claim, and what will be owed after everything is settled. When facing a serious illness with multiple visits to health-care providers, it can be even more difficult to track your claims, but a careful system and attention to detail can help.

Instructions

• 1

  Create a tracking system using a three-ring binder. The binder should have a notebook to record visit dates and procedures completed, a notebook to record information about disputes, a folder for bills or medical statements from the hospitals and physicians, a folder for health-insurance statements, and a folder for resolved bills and claims.

• 2

  Record each visit to the doctor in your procedures notebook. For each visit, record the date, the doctor, and any procedures done. You could also record this in a spreadsheet on your computer.

• 3

  Read each statement from the hospital or doctor's office. Usually hospitals will send out a statement summarizing procedures a week or two after your visit. This is not a bill, but you should verify that what was done is listed accurately. If you do not understand a code, call and ask about it. If something was listed wrongly, call and dispute the claim. Contact your insurance agency as well. File these in the bill and statements folder.

• 4

  Check statements from your insurance company as you receive them. Most insurance companies will send you a statement once a month listing any claims they have received and the amount that you will owe the hospital or doctor.

• 5

  Go through the statement and mark off the bills and statements you have already received. If a claim is denied, contact your insurance company to find out why and to appeal the claim.

• 6

  Pay your hospital bills after you have received the insurance statement. As you pay each amount, write down that you paid it and list the check number and the date you paid it. You can do this in the notebook or you can do it on the insurance statement itself.