[1]At the end of each quarter, I tend to file more items in our important documents filing system. This is mostly due to quarterly statements, and I’m so thankful to have a designated home for these documents.
As I have time, I enjoy looking back through the years of paperwork to see from where we have come. It is encouraging to see the progress we have made.
Continuing in our organization of our important documents, we are in the homestretch working on our estate planning documents in file box 3 [2]. Last week, we completed the first of four openings housing our estate planning documents [3].
This week, we will complete the second file opening which is the 8th slot in my accordion filing system which holds copies of Health Care Power of Attorney documents.
Why Keep Copies of your Health Care Power of Attorney?
In dealing with our health care, our agents may need to discuss our care with numerous doctors, facilities, technicians, and insurance companies for prior approval or procedure information. Each of these entities will require a copy of our Health Care Power of Attorney.
Knowing that our agents may not have quick access to a copy machine and that time may be of the essence, I keep copies of both Paul’s and my Health Care Power of Attorney documents within this file slot for quick distribution, if needed.
How many Copies of your Health Care Power of Attorney Should One Keep?
The answer depends on your health care. All the doctors our family sees have a copy of our Health Care Power of Attorney within their patient records. Having covered all our chosen doctors, I keep an additional 5 copies of each of our Health Care Power of Attorney documents.
Having had a recent x-ray of my knee, I received 3 bills just from the hospital visit. Yes, one from the radiologist, X-ray pictures, and the facility. As each bill came from a different source, our agent might need to provide a copy of the Health Care Power of Attorney to each section of a hospital for treatment, not payment. Though 5 copies may not be enough, it is a good start until our agent can obtain more copies.
Our agents have also received 3 copies of our Health Care Power of Attorney as a matter of protection. Should they get called, they may use their copies and obtain extras from our important documents when they need them.
In using time wisely to save time later, I keep copies of our Health Care Power of Attorney documents for quick distribution to medical officials at our time of need. With a copy holding the same weight and authority as the original, I am careful to give this document ONLY to those who need it.
Though I don’t keep track of all the copies I have distributed, I know who has them. I really should start a list to know who has access to that information. See? I’m still working on creating my important document files, too. It is a work in constant progress. 😉
As you organize your important documents, make extra copies of your Health Care Power of Attorney or Living Will for your agent’s benefit. Keep on working, and happy organizing!
Question: Do you keep track of those to whom you distribute important documents?