Throughout my years of document gathering for Medicaid and Veterans’ benefits applications, most of my clients exclaim at some point, “why didn’t anyone ever tell me I needed to keep this stuff?” With the never-ending pile of junk mail gathering, it can be tough to separate the “keep” and “trash” piles when considering what you may someday need down the road for Medicaid and Veterans’ benefits. Below, I have listed the most common items that people wish they had held onto:

  • Social Security card
  • Medicare card
  • Passport (current or expired)
  • Photo ID (current or expired) 
  • Birth certificate
  • Marriage certificate
  • Spouse’s death certificate
  • Divorce decree
  • Military separation records

Bank statements:

Many means-tested public benefits require multiple years of bank statements along with their applications. If you try to request years of bank statements all at once, most banks charge per page document gathering fees. Online banking can be a very helpful tool to access many bank statements, sometimes years’ worth, all at once. If you need an online account, have a friend or family member, or someone at your local banking branch, assist in setting one up. If you are getting copies in the mail, it may be a good idea to keep and file current bank statements, or in the future you may have to request them from the bank directly and pay for the service.

Already finished with your spring cleaning? It is never too late to set up online accounts so you are able to access necessary information in the future. Having an Ssa.gov account is invaluable; they can send out new Social Security and Medicare cards, change your address or direct deposit and print a verification letter containing all of your pertinent identifying information. Setting up a Medicare.gov account allows you to view and access all of your health insurance information in one place, and print out temporary insurance and Medicare cards, while you’re waiting for your new ones to arrive in the mail.

Make sure to keep the usernames and passwords to all of your online accounts, as well as originals and or copies of all documents listed above in a safe and secure location. But also ensure that trusted friends and family members know how to access these items on your behalf, just in case they need to step in and help someday. Filing a few extra documents away today can save you hours of work in the future.