This post is about:
Quicken Medical Expense Manager V2 2008
I am just learning how to use QMEM, but have been using excel spreadsheets to track medical expenses for 18 years.
I am not able to enter the actual deductible amount applied by my insurer which appears on my EOB for a given date of service.
From the Expense Log I go to Expense Details, then to Insurance Payments to enter the amounts my insurer has paid. The 'Deductible' box does not allow me to enter anything. Instead QMEM has calculated a deductible met based on the medical expenses I have recently entered.
Since I am just beginning to enter 2008 expenses, and not doing so in order, this calculated deductible amount is not accurate.
Is there a way to enter the actual deductible applied from the EOB?
Entering deductibles from EOB Mar 03, 2008 12:21 pm
This post is about: Quicken Medical Expense Manager V2 2008
My situation is not what you have described.
My deductible as calculated by QMEM is not accurate, I guess because I am not entering my expenses in date order. So QMEM is just assuming that my YTD paid has gone to deductible. We have a medically involved child, so my deductible was paid up in mid February, but I am just entering my expenses in the order they fall in my pile - in fact, EOBs from late February DOSs are on top. Will the calculation adjust once I have all the Jan and early Feb expenses entered?
Entering deductibles from EOB Mar 03, 2008 02:06 pm
This post is about: Quicken Medical Expense Manager V2 2008
You don't have to input the expenses/EOBs in date order (or, more specifically, in insuror-processed order), but unless you do your figures will never agree with what's shown on the EOB.
You best bet is to just input everything and then compare the final number. YES, the calculated figure in the payment box will adjust as you input more.
NOTE, however, that there may still be a discrepancy between you insuror's numbers and QMEM. In my case, for example, I pay for medicines (essentially full price, not a $10/$20/$50 fixed price) and then get reimbursed. So, QMEM shows the amounts that I've paid and it's not until I get the pharmacy-related EOBs that the numbers agree.
And I expect that just about everyone who uses QMEM has, or a family member has, significant medical issues. Really not much reason to use it otherwise.
THINK IT THRU! Have you explained your issue so that someone who knows nothing about you, or YOUR Quicken setup, can understand what your issue is? Are you using standard Quicken terminology, particularly with respect to FILES, ACCOUNTS and CATEGORIES?
Entering deductibles from EOB Mar 03, 2008 02:23 pm
This post is about: Quicken Medical Expense Manager V2 2008
Thank you for that explanation, that is helpful.
Why don't they just let you enter your deductible as paid by insurance, ie, from your EOB? A simple total of what they have allotted to deductible would seem more helpful to me than this calculation.
Entering deductibles from EOB Mar 03, 2008 08:15 pm
This post is about: Quicken Medical Expense Manager V2 2008
Two responses come to mind re: "Why don't they..."
1) You want to do MORE data entry???
2) Once you catch up, it provided a helpful double-check on what I've paid vs. what the insurance has recorded. Also, since my MD's and the Med Center are sending in claims directly, sometimes their claims get processed before mine ... so the insurance shows me with MORE credit for deductible than I've actually paid (until I pay the MD or Med Center).
THINK IT THRU! Have you explained your issue so that someone who knows nothing about you, or YOUR Quicken setup, can understand what your issue is? Are you using standard Quicken terminology, particularly with respect to FILES, ACCOUNTS and CATEGORIES?
Entering deductibles from EOB Mar 04, 2008 08:57 am
This post is about: Quicken Medical Expense Manager V2 2008
While there's no doubt that QMEM is a product that could use some refinement (much of which is documented in this forum), I think that there's 2 distinct aspects that provided benefit to me:
1) It supplied discipline to my medical record keeping. When I used a spreadsheet, I could tweak and adjust the layout constantly. Yes that was "my way", but it was also NOT well thought out and rather whimsical. If one is going to do this right, it HAS to be consistent. QMEM provided that.
2) The filters provide easy sub-set reporting on my expenses. If I want to know JUST what I've paid for a certain medicine (or to a certain provider) over the years, that's easy to do.
ALSO, I have my view of the main Expense log set to "All Open" (i.e., not PAID) and "Earliest to Latest". This provides an immediate at-a-glance of what EOBs/bills have not been completed AND essentially eliminates QMEM's notorious "scrolling" problem, by removing from view most of the transactions. NOTE that "Paid" transaction can still be included in the reports ... I'm just removed then from the my "immediate concern".
THINK IT THRU! Have you explained your issue so that someone who knows nothing about you, or YOUR Quicken setup, can understand what your issue is? Are you using standard Quicken terminology, particularly with respect to FILES, ACCOUNTS and CATEGORIES?
New Question: correctly allocating 'my responsiblity' for out of network providers May 02, 2008 05:26 am
This post is about: Quicken Medical Expense Manager V2 2008
OK, I'm back to entering expenses, and I see the benefit of begin able to track how much I actually paid the provider, versus how much I should owe (better than my spreadsheet).
However, I'm having difficulty getting the correct numbers for out of network providers. The example is a lab test, provided by an out of network lab. I pay the entire cost up front ($295). Insurance allows $160.00, and pays me $104.00. So my actual responsiblity is $191.00, which I have already paid on the date of service. QMEM keeps telling me that the provider now owes me $135.00, which is incorrect. I've read the help section on how to enter out of network expenses, and I cannot get this to work.
Entering deductibles from EOB May 06, 2008 04:14 am
This post is about: Quicken Medical Expense Manager V2 2008
I totally agree that it is essential for this software to track deductibles properly ! The options for the "amount allowed" to be paid to 'me' or 'provider' need to also include 'applied to deductible' - that seems simple enough. Then there needs to be an option for the remaining amount to be broken down further into 'insurance write off' and/or 'my responsiblity.' This is quite a typical breakdown for all 4 of the major Insurers (BC/BS, Cigna, Unicare, Aetna) - and it makes no sense for this software to NOT allow for such input. If I am incorrect and this software does permit me to track these components of my EOB's, please educate me. Thank you!!
Unfortunately, Beshert, Intuit has ignored your thoughtful suggestions, since it appears that the last time QMEM was "updated" was when it was released in October, 2007. As it exists, QMEM NEVER calculates my deductible accurately. The caveat in the "Deductible Report" that these expenses are "estimated" is sadly lacking. Come on, Intuit, get with it and make these simple changes in input function so that my data is correct.
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