Keeping medical claims documents and billing information can be useful for many reasons. They help you establish a health history for yourself or loved one, ensure you are receiving the medical benefits you are entitled to, and demonstrate that you’ve met an annual insurance deductible and qualifications for income tax deductions.

You will want easy access to records showing the services provided, the payment amounts billed for services, the amount covered by insurance or Medicare, and the amount you paid the provider. People often wonder how long they should keep this information. If you have ongoing health care needs, paperwork can pile up very quickly.

Generally, if you are in good health and seeking treatment for normal preventative health care and maintenance you should keep medical claims and billing information for one year. At the end of the year, if you qualify for a medical tax deduction then file this information with your income taxes. Keep your tax file on hand for seven years.

If you are facing a serious health condition or chronic illness, it is important to keep medical claims and billing information close by for at least one year. At the end of the year, if you have filed for a tax deduction store the information with your income taxes and cross reference it in a medical file. In the medical file, you will be able to match services with billing receipts and retain the information until the health condition has subsided.

In the unfortunate event that the patient has passed away, the medical services and billing information may be needed for the execution of a will. The information will be available to wrap up the legal process and settle the estate as quickly as possible for the entire family.

While a file cabinet may do, a more effective and efficient way to store medical records is to keep them electronically. This will keep the information you need safe and secure from water damage, disorganization or loss. At Apex EDI we provide the service and software to organize your medical claims and billing information.

Contact us to request a free demonstration of our software today!