Aging Health Matters Podcast
We are the Beneficiary and Family Centered Care Quality Improvement Organization, working to improve the quality of care for Medicare beneficiaries. Our site offers beneficiary and family-centered care information for providers, patients, and families. Welcome!
About Acentra Health
As a Beneficiary and Family Centered Care Quality Improvement Organization (BFCC-QIO), Acentra Health provides free services to people with Medicare (including Medicare Advantage), as well as their families and representatives, that help with these types of questions:
- Were you (or a family member) admitted to the hospital and are being discharged but aren’t ready to go home?
- Are your Medicare skilled services – such as physical therapy – ending too soon?
- What can you do if you are concerned about the quality of care you received from your hospital, doctors, or others?
- Do you need a concern about your medical care taken care of right away?
About The Podcast
One way you can learn more about these free services, as well as other healthcare topics, is by tuning in to Acentra Health's new podcast: Aging Health Matters.
Podcasts are audio files that you can download or listen to on the Internet. Each audio recording is called a podcast episode.
Listeners will get tips that can help improve their healthcare journeys. Your podcast host - Acentra Health - is joined by guests to have open conversations that are aimed at making life a little bit easier.
Episodes
Listen to episodes on the podcast website by clicking on the episode links below. You can also find the Aging Health Matters podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to your podcasts.
BFCC-QIO INFORMATION FOR:
WHERE YOU CAN FIND THE PODCAST
Visit the podcast website to find additional places where you can find the Aging Health Matters podcast (e.g., Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to your podcasts).

Episode 25: Medicare 101 – Learn About The Basics Of Medicare
Our guest will share information about Medicare Parts A, B, C (Medicare Advantage), and Part D (prescription drug plan).
Guest: Juan Garcia, Health Insurance Specialist, The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), Region 10 Seattle

Episode 26: Intro To Acentra Health – Learn About Our Free Services For Medicare Beneficiaries
Our guests will share information about beneficiary complaints, hospital discharge and skilled service termination appeals, Immediate Advocacy, and Immediate Advocacy Discharge Assistance.
Guests: Cheryl Cook, RN, Program Director
Rose Hartnett, RN, MS, Operations Director for Appeals
David Miller, MHA, RN, Operations Director for Beneficiary Complaints and Immediate Advocacy

Episode 27: Medicare Assistance Programs
Our guest will share information about the assistance programs that are available for Medicare beneficiaries.
Guest: Jeff Young, Outreach and Education Specialist, CMS Region 10

Episode 28: Medicare Open Enrollment, Helping You Make Good Decisions For Your Health
Our guest will share information about the Medicare Open Enrollment process and how to get assistance with making those decisions.
Guest: Kathy Madden, Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies, Division of Insurance

Episode 29: Learn About Medicare And Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) Care
Our guest will share information about the criteria for Medicare to cover care in the skilled nursing facility, skilled service termination appeals, and appeal reconsiderations.
Guest: Ed Guzmán, Regional Director, Washington State Long-Term Care Ombudsman

Episode 30: Immediate Advocacy, Immediate Advocacy Discharge Assistance Services
Our guests will share information about Acentra Health's Immediate Advocacy and Immediate Advocacy Discharge Assistance services, free for people with Medicare. Learn more about how these services can benefit you.
Guests: David Miller, MHA, RN, Operations Director and Natalie Palmer, BSN, RN, Clinical Review Manager

Episode 31: Senior Medicare Patrol – Helping People to Fight Medicare Fraud
Our guest will share information about the SMP and how this organization helps fight Medicare fraud.
Guests: Crystal Strong, Program Director, South Carolina Department of Aging

Episode 33: Hospital Associations and How They Can Benefit People with Medicare
This episode is a conversation with the President and CEO of the Oklahoma Hospital Association who shares how hospital associations benefit people with Medicare as well as explaining some of the functions of a hospital association.
Guest: Rich Rasmussen, President and CEO of the Oklahoma Hospital Association

Episode 34: Learn about the State Health Insurance Assistance Program and Services They Offer People with Medicare
This episode is a conversation with Ray Walker who provides information on how SHIP can help people with Medicare including during Open Enrollment and issues related to Medicare in general.
Guest: Ray Walker, Divisional Director for the Medicare Assistance Program at the Oklahoma Insurance Department

Episode 35: Learn About Appeals at Acentra Health
This episode is a conversation with Rose Hartnett and Trena Dodson, who work with appeals at Acentra Health. In this podcast, our guests will share information about our hospital discharge and skilled service termination appeals as well as our new observation appeals.
Guests: Rose Hartnett, RN, MS, Operations Director, and Trena Dodson, LPN, Appeals Manager, for Acentra Health

Episode 36: Learn About Healthy Aging
This episode is a conversation with Dr. Angeline Brunetto, Associate Medical Director at Acentra Health. She will share information about healthy aging to commemorate Healthy Aging Month, which is the September health observance.
Guests: Angeline Brunetto, MD, Associate Medical Director for Acentra Health

Episode 37: Learn About Medicare Open Enrollment
This episode is a conversation with Crystal Strong who works with both the State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) and the Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) program. She will share information about the upcoming Medicare Open Enrollment period and some tips for people with Medicare who are thinking about changing their plan.
Guests: Crystal Strong, Program Director, South Carolina Department on Aging

Episode 38: What Can People with Medicare Expect from an Emergency Room Visit?
In this podcast, our guest will share information about what Medicare beneficiaries can expect from a visit to the emergency room.
Guest: Dr. Angeline Brunetto, Associate Medical Director for Appeals