My husband was diagnosed with CML of 2003. I have just recently stumbled across this software. I know to make it the most efficent i need to enter all of the information dating back to date of dx correct. What will I need to do that.... Just my EOBS or......something else. I have not recieved the software yet but am just hoping that it will work for me.
Well, the first thing to do is go read "Tools to get started in QMEM version 2", which is the post immediately below yours.
Then, you'll need to decide the level at which you wish to track expenses. Some users have reported here that they track multiple services at the CPT-code level. Others only put in generic descriptions in the services and let the bill/EOB provide the backup detail. I tend to be pretty generic on my provider and medical-center bills, but I input my medicines (frequently bought several at a time) individually.
Next, for myself and my wife, I have 5 manila folders, labeled:
1) "Awaiting Bill/EOB" -- I've gotten one, but not the other and I'm waiting to match them up. These are the items where there's a single date-of-service with a single provider and a single EOB.
2) "Revolving Chemo Account" -- this medical center account works somewhat like a charge account ... it stays open and has multiple DOS and EOBs applied to it.
3) "To Be Paid" -- the bill and the EOB have been matched up, the provider has provided a 2nd bill showing the EOB properly posted, and it's my turn to make payment.
4) "Me - Completed" -- filed in DOS order. Since I keep generic records in QMEM, this is how I keep the detail available.
5) "Wife - Completed" -- same, only for her.
How you manage the paperwork is, obviously, up to you ... but I found that getting the mounds of paper under control was the key for me.
db
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?
If you just got the software, then you probably have version 2, in which case you should probably correct your profile to state that.
I know
to make it the most efficient i need to enter all of
the information dating back to date of dx correct.
Assuming that the course of treatment for CML is generally close to that for CLL <with which I'm a bit more familiar>, back filling data to 2003 is probably a pretty daunting task. You're right that it would be best to have all of it entered, but with the amount of data that you're most likely facing, you should prepare yourself for having to take some extended breaks in entering your data and prioritize what you enter. Following is my recommended priority list. I'm sure others will weigh in with their own modifications to it:
1. Any new expenses as they occur
2. Expenses incurred during the current calendar <tax> year.
3. Expenses about which you have an open dispute with the insurance company or provider.
4. Expenses that look "strange" in any way.
5. Expenses for any prior "open" tax year <e.g. you're amending a prior tax return>.
6. Expenses from 2005
7. Expenses from 2004
8. Expenses from 2003
What will I need to do that.... Just my EOBS
or......something else.
EOBs would probably qualify as the minimum level of detail. Any and all documents that you got from the provider and insurance company will be helpful. I generally need at least the EOB and either a receipt, a bill, or both from the provider to get a complete picture of what happened. Most of the "money-flow" information comes from the EOB, but service level information only seems available from the provider.
I have not received the
software yet but am just hoping that it will work for
me.
Intuit offers a 60-day full money back guarantee on the product, so as soon as you get it, start entering data as aggressively as you can. I believe it'll work for you, but it's best to be sure while you still have the option of returning it.
PLease Help
Kimroid
While you wait for the software to show up, spend some time reading as many of the posts here as possible. That's probably the best way to prep yourself for success and to set your expectations appropriately for what the software can and cannot do. Since you've already posted, I'm assuming that you are already doing this while you wait for responses. ;-)
just recently stumbled across this software. I know
to make it the most efficent i need to enter all of
the information dating back to date of dx correct.
What will I need to do that.... Just my EOBS
or......something else. I have not recieved the
software yet but am just hoping that it will work for
me.
Welcome to MEM and to the forum! I purchased MEM in December 2005 and had to make the same decision about entering back data. My plan for primary use was 2005 taxes and to track expenses moving forward.
I first entered everything that was not currently complete (not paid, waiting on EOB, etc.) then entered all of 2005. The EOBs, prescription receipts, and the paid invoices have everything you should need.
In my case, entering more past information than 2005 expenses did not seem necessary. You'll find that doing a full year of information is a great way to get familiar with the program. ;-)
Thank you very much, dbAnalyst and aplwilhelm and Wayward, for helping out kim. Hugely useful.
Obviously it's a real hassle getting up to speed on medical expenses; you can shut your eyes and hope they'll magically go away, or you can deal with them.
Do other people have advice for someone coming to terms with their medical-billing situation?
As you have seen organizing your paper work is key. In my case I have a primary (Medicare (two types)) and a supplemental. Separating them into separate stacks made the job less intimidating.
I gather that you are getting the program on CD as opposed to downloading. If that is the case, it will provide some benefits. If things get so balled up you can uninstall QMEM and the data file, reinstall and start over fresh.
First, make stacks of the EOB?s by EOB print date (there should be a date in the top right corner of every page). Then within a particular year (I?d concentrate on 2006 data first, you can do prior tax years later) separate by type of insurance: primary then secondary. Now, you should have four or five stacks of paper: 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006/primary and, possibly, 2006/secondary.
Then, for say, the 2006/primary stack sort by month and day of EOB print. Put the other stacks away in folders for the time being. You?ll come back to them. You should be have a stack of EOB?s for 2006 in print date order, January 1 to the latest.
Pause for some hints:
-- QMEM depends on ?Lists? (see the ?Lists? entry in the menu bar for the different types). Once you enter something in a list, you can?t remove it. Make sure what you think need to add, you really, really do.
-- On the insurance paid lines, enter the EOB print date (even if the insurer says they sent a check on a certain date)in the 'Date Paid field. Entering the EOB print date will allow you to get back to that specific EOB almost instantly. Trust me, you?ll need to. Enter the 'Claim number' from the EOB in the reference field.
-- Backup often. Copy the .mem file to a floppy, CD, whatever. Even making a copy on your hard disk is better than nothing.
-- If you hit a snag, remember the ?Quicken Qrew? and the folks who have answered are here. And we have probably have run into the same problem.
Now, enter just January. When you are comfortable with it, move on to February and so forth. When you?re done with 2006 you will be comfortable with how the program works.
Initially, just ?play? with the program. If you haven?t spent weeks entering data you can uninstall, reinstall and start over. Only do one thing at a time. If you try to do everything a once, you eyeballs will start to spin.
I agree w/most of what Wiley wrote -- only I sort by Date of Service (DOS) not EOB Print Date. I enter the EOB Print Date in the notes section. My feeling is that if you ever need to call the Provider and/or Ins. Company for any reason, it's the DOS they'll ask you for not the EOB print date.
Everyone develops their own way of doing things & I'm sure you will too. Just be more diligent about keeping up with the piles than I am & you'll be fine.
I agree w/most of what Wiley wrote -- only I sort by
Date of Service (DOS) not EOB Print Date. I enter
the EOB Print Date in the notes section.
To be fair, Wiley referred to putting the print date in the Date Paid field, not the DOS field. However, he didn't quite explain how that would allow the OP to find the expense easily or under what conditions you'd need to find an expense by an EOB's print date.
In an effort to keep from speaking for others, I'll leave that for him to elaborate if he so chooses.
My sorting & filing is by DOS. It's the one number that should be consistent across everything: the bill, the EOB and my QMEM records.
db
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?
Barrie, yes, everything is entered by date of service.
In clarification, I was speaking of the ‘Insurance Payments’ screen and the ‘Paid On’ field. I incorrectly wrote ‘Date Paid’.
I have numerous Medicare and supplemental EOB’s reporting multiple providers and dates of service. It is rare that I get an EOB with just one date of service for one provider. I have one supplemental insurance EOB that reports 13 dates of service for 6 different providers, covering the period from 8-22-05 to 9-27-05 with a print date of 11-05-05. (Trust me, Medicare EOB’S can be worse.)
For me, the EOB is most important. QMEM serves as merely (?!?) an index to the paper EOB’S. I could, as some do, make a copy of the EOB for each service date but I’m cheap, lazy and don‘t want to generate more paper.
I have an entry in QMEM for each of the 13 dates of service. In the Insurance Payments, the Paid On field has ‘11-05-05’ for each and the specific claim number from the EOB. If there is any question about any of those service dates, I reach into my supplemental insurance stack and pull the EOB that was printed on ‘11-05-05‘.
Earlier this week I went to two providers about overpayments. In the time it took to print an expense details sheet for each I had pulled the original Medicare EOB, the original supplemental EOB and my check (with the statement stapled to it). When I walked into the billing offices I had everything needed to prove my case. Re-filing was just as easy.
Note to Barrie, Tony and db: THANK YOU for the questions. If y'all were confused by what I wrote poor kimroid would have been completely lost. If anything I write is unclear PLEASE tell me.
merely (?!?) an index to the paper EOB?S. I could, as
some do, make a copy of the EOB for each service date
but I?m cheap, lazy and don?t want to generate more
paper.
This is the part that I didn't quite understand. I knew where you were putting the print date, I just didn't understand how you were using it. Very slick! I need to rethink my filing methodology.
One additional point of clarification: how do you file the statements/checks/other paperwork from the provider in your scheme: with the original Medicare EOB, on its own under the service date, or some other way?
reporting multiple providers and dates of service. It
is rare that I get an EOB with just one date of
service for one provider. I have one supplemental
insurance EOB that reports 13 dates of service for 6
different providers, covering the period from 8-22-05
to 9-27-05 with a print date of 11-05-05. (Trust me,
Medicare EOB?S can be worse.)
It appears that the essence of this discussion AND of our respective methodologies is the difference in the paperwork from our respective insurers.
From my MD's and from the medical center where they practice, I get 1 bill (from each) for 1 DOS. They each submit claims to my insurer, so I can file the bill/EOB combination by DOS.
On the pharmacy side, I'll submit a week (or 2) of pharmacy claims at one time, so I file those EOBs by the 1st DOS.
It all just depends upon one's particular situation.
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?
I have one supplemental insurance EOB that reports 13 dates of service for 6 different providers, covering the period from 8-22-05 to 9-27-05 with a print date of 11-05-05. (Trust me, Medicare EOB?S can be worse.)
We have the same issues here too which has created a filing nightmare of all of us. I used to have a neat, orderly system (okay - neat & orderly when I sat down & did it). We're not in the same place - no Medicare for us yet (& we don't qualify for medicaid). Just family with disabled child & lots of bills. Hubby & I both work to keep up w/things so finding time to do this stuff is critical but hard. Every wknd I say I'll catch up but I'm sooo tired (bday parties, baseball, dance recitals, sleep - nope not yet...)
db: You’re absolutely right. If you have a 1:1 relationship DOS to EOB to provider’s statement, entry and filing by DOS is the way to go. Although, what I’m doing will handle both (I do occasionally get an EOB with just one DOS/provider).
Tony: My filing is by document type, not DOS. My filing setup is a 5 {correction 6} pocket Pendaflex:
Pocket 1 - Medicare Part A-Hospital and Medicare Part B-Outpatient Facility Claims MSN’s filed by print date.
Pocket 2 - Medicare Part B-Assigned Claims MSN’s filed by print date.
Pocket 3 - Supplemental EOB’s filed by print date.
Pocket 4 - Provider bills/statements stapled to checks (when they clear and are returned) and filed by check date. (I staple the check on top of the statement.)
Pocket 5 {and 6} - Not used currently. If I had a second Supplemental I would move everything down one pocket.
(An MSN is a Medicare Summary Notice which is the same as an EOB.)
Check date and number are entered on the ‘My Payments & Copays’ screen. The residual amount for that DOS is entered in the amount field. Remember, I may have one check that may cover many DOS’s.
“Very slick! I need to rethink my filing methodology.” Thank you. I do have flashes of adequacy. ;-)
Please, setup a separate test file to see if it really does work for you. And if you decide to switch I wouldn’t go back further than DOS’s of Jan 1, 2006. Very shortly, if not already, anything in 2005 will be completed.
