The Paperwork Conundrum
It didn’t take very long for me to realize that bills and other sorts of paperwork were starting to pile up related to my husband’s injuries. Honestly it was overwhelming. I knew I would need to create a system to keep track of it all or it would become a living, breathing nightmare. The bills started to arrive before David was even out of the trauma ICU, each one seeming more confusing than the next.
Whether you are new in this journey or several years in, I’ve listed the following tips to help you either get or stay organized. Some of these tips may be things you’re already doing, or you might have a system that is working for you. These are just ideas and I’d love for you to share some of your own experiences in the comments section below.
Get a box of file folders, or create online folders and label as follows:
Medical Information - this is where you will keep copies of medical diagnoses, discharge papers, informational paperwork, etc.
Medical Bills – if you want to get really detailed you can create different medical bill folders for each provider. The important thing is to make sure you are keeping copies of bills and filing them.
Medical Insurance – put your statements of claims in this file. It’s a good idea to match them up against the medical bills each month. I found a mistake from one billing company that resulted in a refund of nearly $800!
Medical Equipment – if you begin to receive specialized medical equipment, such as a wheelchair, Hoyer lift, specialized shower chair, etc., you will want to have either one file, or individual files, for each piece of equipment.
Workman’s Compensation – if your loved one was injured at work you will need a file to keep track of the application process. Take detailed notes of conversations with the human resources department and put them in this file as well.
Short-Term Disability – this typically covers the first six months of missed work at a fraction of the salaried earned. Talk to the human resources department to file.
Long-Term Disability – this is necessary if the injured person will miss more than six months of work and will also be coordinated through the human resources office. Long-term disability typically requires a yearly report as well. It’s easiest for me to fill out a new report by looking back at reports previously filed.
Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) – this application process is incredibly detailed and you definitely will need to keep track of where things stand. Keep in mind that most applicants are denied on the first try and that you may need to re-file within a given time frame.
Attorney/Legal – Not everyone needs to hire an attorney. I did for several reasons. My husband and I did not have a document giving me power of attorney in the event that anything should happen to him. He was comatose and then non-verbal for several weeks following his injury and I wasn’t even able to get the car title transferred over to our insurance company (in order to get our deductible) because the title needed both of our signatures. It didn’t matter to the courts that my husband was unable to sign paperwork. The only way I could legally transfer the title was if I obtained guardianship of my husband. There were also issues with the way my husband was injured (an impaired driver hit his car on the highway) and so it became apparent early on that we would need an attorney. This was another case where I took a lot of notes. I documented each conversation with my lawyer and kept those notes in this file. My attorney was also instrumental in helping us get to a point of filing for Medicare/Medicaid. And we had an issue with my husband’s medical insurance where the company put a lien on our underinsured motorist coverage from our auto insurance company. With the help of our attorney, the medical insurance company “settled” for an amount far less than the original lien amount.
Medicare/Medicaid – it was a very long process before we needed to file for Medicare/Medicaid for my husband, but we did get to that point. He needs ongoing long-term care and the only way we could afford that was to spend down all of his assets until he could qualify. This process required additional legal counsel and we had a laundry list of things to take care of before we could apply (such as purchasing our burial plots and pre-paying for funeral expenses).
Insurance Claims – we had to file a claim with our car insurance company as my husband’s vehicle was totaled in the accident.
Financial Statements – I have a number of reports due each year that require updated information to be submitted. The court requires a guardianship report to make sure I’m being responsible. The long-term disability company and the company that handles my husband’s life insurance policy each request an annual update that includes a form to be filled out by the doctor and additional information supplied by me. It’s a good idea to made sure you have a good filing system for bank statements, life insurance policies, yearly taxes, assessed value of your home, and any other sources of income.
Out-of-Pocket Expenses – you may want to keep track of any expenses that are not covered by medical insurance. The person who hit my husband appeared in court 13 months after the accident that caused his injuries. We were able to submit our out-of-pocket expenses to the courts and she was ordered to pay retribution on a monthly basis.
Waiver Programs – your loved one may qualify for a waiver program that will help with services either in or out of the home. Discuss possibilities with your hospital social worker, or contact your state Brain Injury Association office (find a listing online at www.biausa.org). Keep everything associated with the waiver program in this file.
Veteran’s Affairs – my husband never served in the military, but I do recall that nearly everyone asked if he had been in the service. Keep a file that contains service dates and locations and any other pertinent information related to his/her service, along with correspondence with your local VA Hospital.
The mountain of paperwork is undoubtedly a bad side-effect of taking care of someone with a disability. There have been many times when I’ve wanted to just throw my hands in the air and pretend this work doesn’t exist. Sadly, it does exist, and I’ve definitely learned that being organized makes a HUGE difference.
You’ve got this!
Blessings to you,
Melanie