Arguably some of the most valuable items, notary supplies and official documents are almost always stored in a notary bag. This is especially true for notaries, signing agents, and insurance handlers who may keep medical information about their clients as well as copies of their clients’ insurance coverage. A notary bag with lock is an efficient tool for keeping and transporting notary supplies and important medical documents safe especially for insurance agents, sellers, and other professionals who need to travel with their documents and keep their supplies handy and easily accessible.
There’s not one right type of bag to use for all intents and purposes, so it all boils down to an issue of preference and necessity. Some may use the good old messenger bag which is easily accessible but can cause some serious shoulder and back pains when miscellaneous items start to fill up and weigh it down for you. While others may prefer to use the notary zipped pouch for smaller documents or the laptop bag for more portability and easier handling. Lastly, there are special locking notary bags that are specifically designed for safety and security.
Not only does a notary pouch or bag – in whatever form, shape or size – provide a clear space to keep your notary supplies and documents, it’s also a way to secure your documents and avoid violations to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996 which ensures the privacy and confidentiality of a patient’s health information including his/her health insurance plan. The security of medical records is a serious business in the eyes of the law and violations to the HIPAA may result in serious consequences. For medical practitioners for example who have access to sensitive and identifiable patient records, HIPAA violations may lead to criminal liability under the criminal enforcement provision of the Administrative Simplification of HIPAA. To avoid these kinds of trouble and protect your documents from theft or simply losing it along the way, here are a few criteria points in choosing the right notary supply bag for you:
- Fit for Mobility – Since typical users of a notary supply bag often travel relatively long distances to transport documents and meet up with clients, it’s important for their bags to be portable, lightweight, and fit for mobility. While these types of bags may often sacrifice storage space due to its smaller sizes, it all depends on how you use and what kind of documents you store and need for your daily tasks. A notary zipped pouch for instance would be perfect for agents who don’t carry laptops and use limited paperwork on a daily basis. This type of portable accessory allows you to keep just the essential documents secure and yet easily accessible with a simple ziplock to open and close. It’s also helpful for agents who walk long distances to visit client homes or coordinate with other agents, to have lightweight carriers for documents and supplies. Other options that fit the criteria of mobility include a messenger bag or a sealable and water-resistant folder. But even these have downsides as well.
- Organize for Efficiency – A great deal of organizational skills are often a requirement for notaries and health insurance agents alike. To help with this persistent challenge for professional agents, it’s important for their bags to have the necessary compartments that allow for a more organized inventory of documents and supplies that can be readily accessible whenever needed. A lot of notary bags such as laptop or rolling bags have several internal compartments – big and small – to accommodate a wide array of official documents and notary supplies (some bags even have a dedicated pocket for calling cards!). Insurance agents as an example often deal with multiple clients at a time which can make record keeping and document handling quite difficult and most of the time confusing. To avoid these challenging circumstances, several insurance agents use hand-carried notary bags often with a shoulder strap for easier handling. These types of bags have plenty space for storage and a well-organized row of compartments to properly segregate documents and make it easier for them to pull out the correct files when needed.
- Security Above All – Perhaps the most important concern for medical practitioners, sellers, and agents is the security of documents they handle. After all, these can sometimes be critical documents that can lead them to some unwanted jailtime if not handled properly and securely. Insurance agents who don’t use the right type of bag commensurate to the level of security needed for their job often end up losing these important documents which in turn may lead to fraudulent and illegal activities if it goes to the wrong hands. In addition, the insurance agent who loses for instance a health insurance plan from one of his/her clients due to theft may be in violation of HIPAA regulations. Violations to HIPAA rules may sometimes reach to fines up to a maximum of $25,000 per violation category while the minimum fine applicable is around $100 per violation. Avoiding these require the proper and intelligent choice of a locking notary bag that’s fit for purpose. A locking notary bag may come in different shapes and sizes – but the common denominator is the security features that come with it including a custom-made security combination lock only you can access.
Indeed, choosing the right notary pouch or bag for you requires a lot of thought and careful consideration of the specific requirements demanded by your job, your physical condition as well as your carrying capacity. But what’s important to note is that there’s an almost endless array of choices to choose from – from the small-sized notary zipped pouch that offers streamlined mobility, to the spacious rolling carriers that can store some heavyweight devices and a great deal of documents and supplies, to the locking notary bag replete with security features meant to protect critical documents from theft and fraud. Whatever your need is, there’s always the notary bag that fits your purpose and your situation.