New Year-- Getting organized with the paperwork

As a cancer patient, I get tons of mail.  I means TONS of mail...mostly bills, claim receipts from the insurance company, just lots of stuff.  It usually piles on the table until I move it to the desk and then piles there until my boyfriend can't take it anymore. 


With a new year, its time to get it all organized!
Here's what I'm doing to organize this weekend:
First off, you want to keep your claim receipts for the entire year and start new files for 2014.  Keep the 2013 files accessible for a couple more months.  I was at the ER on Dec 25, Dec 28, and had a doctors appointment Dec 30.  I don't expect those claim receipts for another month.   When they do come in, I need to get them in the correct file asap.  This is my first year fighting cancer, so I have no idea what my accountant will need.  I will give them everything.  Nicely filed and organized.

• Claim Receipts by what was paid and what was not paid (rejected).  I organize them by provider and then date.
• Gas and Travel receipts in an envelope. 
• All drug and pharmacy receipts (yes, even Kleenex and baby wipes) in another envelope
• insurance payments/bills
• any financial aid/grants/disability go in another file.
• all banking statements by bank/institution and then by date.
• copies of any checks I wrote out for medical bills
• Start files for 2014

As I go through these, I will make an excel file of all the dates I saw the doctors/ to keep track of appointments/mileage/etc.


The last time I organized all my claim receipts was in October.  Yet a new mountainous pile has grown to ridiculous proportions.  This should consume all free time I have this weekend.


Hope this helps!