Rx for Doctor Bills
Software from Quicken helps track medical expenses.
Francois Bonaparte has gone through the seven circles of medical-bill hell. The 46-year-old resident of Gilroy, Cal., gets as many as six explanation-of-benefits statements a week from three different medical-insurance carriers. Bonaparte is battling prostate cancer, and his 2-year-old daughter, Anna, was born with a rare chromosomal disorder that requires intervention by dozens of specialists.
When the bills first started flooding in, the self-employed businessman paid them and then tried to get back any overpayments. That didn't work. "Doctors don't send checks back," he says. But figuring out what he actually owed was a nightmare. Bonaparte tried to keep the paperwork straight with what he calls a Neanderthal system of file folders and stacks of paper. Often he'd wind up paying late, even though money wasn't an issue. "I couldn't deal with the monster," he says.
Now, thanks to a new software program, Bonaparte knows exactly what he owes. Quicken Medical Expense Manager (www.quickenmedical.com; $70 list price, $50 after a $20 discount; requires Windows 98 or later) makes it easy to track expenses and insurance payments for each family member, a potential boon to millions who suffer from a chronic condition.

Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free E-Newsletters
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail.
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice - straight to your e-mail.
How it works. The well-thought-out Medical Log home page summarizes your family's information at a glance and provides links to individual records. It takes only a few minutes to enter data for each doctor visit. The program prompts you for the information it needs -- patient's name, doctor's name, date of service, reason for visit, co-payments and any insurance payments -- and then organizes the information automatically.
You'll be able to see which bills are pending with your insurer and whether you have any outstanding disputes (if you think you've been billed incorrectly, the program will help you prepare a dispute letter). You can generate a Tax Deduction Report, which tracks your medical-expense deductions and tallies flexible-spending-account expenses. One downside: Medical Manager does not link to Quicken's money-management software. You'll have to enter payments twice.
But Bonaparte no longer dreads opening those explanation-of-benefits envelopes. Now, he says, "I know I can handle it."
Profit and prosper with the best of Kiplinger's advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and much more. Delivered daily. Enter your email in the box and click Sign Me Up.
-
Four Surprising Signs You’ll Never Retire (and How to Fix Them)
Gearing up to retire? If any of these four signs ring true, you may want to make some changes before you do.
-
Stocks Rise After Trump-Powell Fed Tour: Stock Market Today
Nvidia hit a new all-time high intraday, but another renowned semiconductor name and some less iconic stocks were bigger movers Friday.
-
Amazon Resale: Where Amazon Prime Returns Become Your Online Bargains
Feature Amazon Resale products may have some imperfections, but that often leads to wildly discounted prices.
-
Roth IRA Contribution Limits for 2025
Roth IRAs Roth IRA contribution limits have gone up. Here's what you need to know.
-
Four Tips for Renting Out Your Home on Airbnb
real estate Here's what you should know before listing your home on Airbnb.
-
Five Ways to a Cheap Last-Minute Vacation
Travel It is possible to pull off a cheap last-minute vacation. Here are some tips to make it happen.
-
How Much Life Insurance Do You Need?
insurance When assessing how much life insurance you need, take a systematic approach instead of relying on rules of thumb.
-
When Is Amazon Prime Day? Everything We Know, Plus the Best Deals on Apple, Samsung and More
Amazon Prime Amazon Prime Day is four days this year. Here are the key details you need to know, plus some of our favorite deals to shop during the sale.
-
How to Shop for Life Insurance in 3 Easy Steps
insurance Shopping for life insurance? You may be able to estimate how much you need online, but that's just the start of your search.
-
Five Ways to Shop for a Low Mortgage Rate
Becoming a Homeowner Mortgage rates are high this year, but you can still find an affordable loan with these tips.