Quick. What’s the secret?

Everything in health care is organized around date of service.

A patient who has a serious illness is going to have lots of paperwork from professionals which is handed to the patient and family. Mounds of it, sometimes.

Keep the patient’s paperwork organized by date of service and you will spare yourself confusion, time wasted and lost reimbursements because you have lost track of what needs filing.

The other benefit of being organized around date of service is that anyone who has the skills to file insurance claims can step in and take over for you if you need help.

Organize yourself for keeping paperwork straight for doctors’ appointments and at home.

1. Keep a gallon size plastic bag with you so you can put every piece of paper you get that day in one place. You’re not there for the filing, but keeping it together is very important.

2. Get a three-ring notebook in a bright or different color from others in your house. You want it to be impossible to confuse it with any others.

3. Pick one place for the notebook to stay, no matter what. You want to be able to spot it easily. If possible, put it in one place that belongs to you alone.

4. Put your notebook and a three-hole puncher together in that one, safe place. It might be smart to get a three-hole punch to be used only for this notebook. Tie it to the notebook if your family members borrow things and forget to return them.

5. Every time you walk in the door, no matter how bone-weary you may be, go to that notebook, slip the papers of the day into the three hole punch and put them in the notebook. You automatically have a chronological file of care your patient has had.

6. If your patient has more than one major medical problem, or one that generates more paperwork than the others, you may want to use another notebook for each diagnosis.

Whatever makes it mindlessly easy to keep the papers in order is the way to go.

This is especially important if the patient is having experimental treatment. Costs can be challenged and you need back-up documentation for your health plan.