If you get sick or have an accident, then it’s finally time to ask for assistance from your health insurance company. It’s important to file your claim the right way so that you can get your benefits quickly.
However, be aware that insurers have around 30 to 45 days to process and pay your claim. Filing as soon as possible makes it easier for everyone involved.
Prepare to File
After you’ve made sure you have no exclusions and the claim is within your rights to file, then you can start the process. You don’t want to file and then get an unexpected bill.
Begin by gathering all the relevant documents to your claim, i.e. itemized receipts from your physician’s office. While going in person might take more time, you can get your receipt printed out and ready that day.
These receipts are necessary for your health claim as they provide an easily-read document for your carrier to review every medical expense you incurred during recovery. Make sure these include details like medications you were prescribed during treatment. All of these together will be used by the company to help cover these expenses.
Acquire a Claim Form
Everyone’s insurance company will have a different route to giving a form. The company’s website might even have resources to aid you online. The site can either give you the option to print out a form to fill out at home, or provide you an online version right on their website.
If you get confused during this process, it’s helpful to contact your carrier directly as they’ll have the exact information you need to fill out the form completely. Also of note is that your claim form itself, and the pertaining pages, will most likely have instructions to assist you in completing it fully.
Important Note: Make copies of this form after you fill it out. If you complete it online, after it’s finished, you should be given the option to download it. Keeping one copy of it yourself protects you in case you need the document in the future. Mistakes can happen, and filing a health claim is one place you don’t want mistakes. Additionally, this form can be useful come tax season.
Submit a Correct Form
There’s one tried and true way to submit a form with the least margin of error. If you want to do this successfully, follow these steps:
- Review the information on your form to make sure it’s correct
- Call your carrier and ask for assistance in checking your form
- Ask for the address to send the claim form or if they prefer to receive the form on their website
- After you’ve reviewed, ask if there is anything missing or any final information that is needed before submitting
Once you’ve done this, you can rest assured that you’ve done everything in your power to file a health claim the right way. It’s been checked, reviewed, and approved by your carrier even before sending it. After the process is done and you’ve submitted your form, one last thing you can do for peace of mind is to call or message them to ask for a date when you’ll receive the benefits. After that, set a reminder to follow-up on that date. You should be all set.