<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<rss version="2.0"
	xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"
	xmlns:wfw="http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"
	xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"
	xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom"
	xmlns:sy="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/syndication/"
	xmlns:slash="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"
	>

<channel>
	<title>Medicare and More &#187; medicare blog</title>
	<atom:link href="http://tucsoncitizen.com/medicare/tag/medicare-blog/feed/" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" />
	<link>http://tucsoncitizen.com/medicare</link>
	<description></description>
	<lastBuildDate>Fri, 17 May 2013 16:54:13 +0000</lastBuildDate>
	<language>en-US</language>
	<sy:updatePeriod>hourly</sy:updatePeriod>
	<sy:updateFrequency>1</sy:updateFrequency>
	<generator>http://wordpress.org/?v=3.5.1</generator>
		<item>
		<title>A visit to Ireland</title>
		<link>http://tucsoncitizen.com/medicare/2011/12/14/a-visit-to-ireland/</link>
		<comments>http://tucsoncitizen.com/medicare/2011/12/14/a-visit-to-ireland/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 14 Dec 2011 12:47:18 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Denise Early</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Health]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[international health care]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[medicare and more]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[medicare blog]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[medicare ireland]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[older people ireland]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://tucsoncitizen.com/medicare/?p=619</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I&#8217;m away from the warmth and sunshine of Arizona to visit friends in Ireland, which is rainy, windy, and cold.  Brrrrrr.  I&#8217;ve been to Ireland many times before, so on this trip I&#8217;m asking questions about the health care system and social services for seniors. I learned yesterday that the appropriate term is not &#8220;elders&#8221; [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://tucsoncitizen.com/medicare/2011/12/14/a-visit-to-ireland/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Medicare: Is that operation really necessary?</title>
		<link>http://tucsoncitizen.com/medicare/2011/12/05/medicare-is-that-operation-really-necessary/</link>
		<comments>http://tucsoncitizen.com/medicare/2011/12/05/medicare-is-that-operation-really-necessary/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 05 Dec 2011 17:03:25 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Denise Early</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Health]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Arizona Medicare]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[arizona medicare advantge]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[medicare advantage arizona]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[medicare arizona]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[medicare blog]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[medicare news]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[medicare payment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[medicare tucson]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[prior authorization]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[tucson medicare]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://tucsoncitizen.com/medicare/?p=614</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Medicare may start operating more like an insurance company by requiring prior authorization for expensive operations and procedures. Medicare has announced a test program to see how this might work, and it will focus on states where patterns of fraud and abuse are high. Good news for Arizona:  we&#8217;re not on the list! Medicare Advantage [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://tucsoncitizen.com/medicare/2011/12/05/medicare-is-that-operation-really-necessary/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Help With Medicare and Drug Costs</title>
		<link>http://tucsoncitizen.com/medicare/2011/05/06/help-with-medicare-costs-2/</link>
		<comments>http://tucsoncitizen.com/medicare/2011/05/06/help-with-medicare-costs-2/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 06 May 2011 16:31:01 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Denise Early</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Health]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Arizona Medicare]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[arizona part d]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[help for seniors tucson]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[help with medicare costs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[help with part d]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[medical savings program]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[medicare ahcccs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[medicare assistance tucson]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[medicare blog]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Medicare cost sharing arizona]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[medicare help arizona]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[medicare help tucson]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[medicare part d help]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[medicare savings program arizona]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[part d arizona]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[tucson medicare]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[tucson medicare help]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://tucsoncitizen.com/medicare/?p=392</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[There are two ways for seniors to get help with their Medicare premium and Part D drug costs. Medicare beneficiaries with monthly income below $1,246 (individual) or $1,675 (couple) can apply to the state of Arizona for help.  Seniors with slightly higher income can go to Social Security for help with their Part D premium [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://tucsoncitizen.com/medicare/2011/05/06/help-with-medicare-costs-2/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Medicare, Customer Satisfaction, and Hospital Bills</title>
		<link>http://tucsoncitizen.com/medicare/2011/05/02/medicare-customer-satisfaction-and-hospital-bills/</link>
		<comments>http://tucsoncitizen.com/medicare/2011/05/02/medicare-customer-satisfaction-and-hospital-bills/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 02 May 2011 15:24:44 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Denise Early</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Health]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[affordable care act medicare]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[medicare blog]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[medicare budget]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[medicare change]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[medicare hospital payments]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://tucsoncitizen.com/medicare/?p=389</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Kaiser Health News reported on Medicare&#8217;s plans to change the way it pays hospitals.   Here are some excerpts from the story. Medicare took its broadest step yet in moving away from its traditional hospital payment method, finalizing a plan to alter reimbursements based on the quality of care hospitals provide and patients’ satisfaction during their [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://tucsoncitizen.com/medicare/2011/05/02/medicare-customer-satisfaction-and-hospital-bills/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>3</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Medicare Beneficiaries Can Lodge Complaints Over Care</title>
		<link>http://tucsoncitizen.com/medicare/2011/02/04/medicare-beneficiaries-can-lodge-complaints-over-care/</link>
		<comments>http://tucsoncitizen.com/medicare/2011/02/04/medicare-beneficiaries-can-lodge-complaints-over-care/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 04 Feb 2011 18:49:08 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Denise Early</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Health]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Arizona Medicare]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[arizona medicare advantage]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[medicare advantage arizona]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[medicare arizona]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[medicare blog]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[medicare complaints]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[tucson medicare]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://tucsoncitizen.com/medicare/?p=300</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The Centers for Medicare &#38; Medicaid Services (CMS) has issued a proposed rule that would require most Medicare-participating providers to give Medicare beneficiaries written notice about their right to contact a Medicare Quality Improvement Organization (QIO) with concerns about the quality of care they receive under the Medicare program. Under current rules,  only beneficiaries admitted [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://tucsoncitizen.com/medicare/2011/02/04/medicare-beneficiaries-can-lodge-complaints-over-care/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Health Care Reform and Medicare in 2011</title>
		<link>http://tucsoncitizen.com/medicare/2011/01/18/health-care-reform-and-medicare-in-2011/</link>
		<comments>http://tucsoncitizen.com/medicare/2011/01/18/health-care-reform-and-medicare-in-2011/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 18 Jan 2011 16:07:11 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Denise Early</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Health]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Arizona Medicare]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[arizona medicare advantage]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[change medicare advantage plans]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Healthcare reform]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Medicare]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[medicare advantage arizona]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[medicare advantage tucson]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[medicare blog]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[medicare changes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[medicare tucson]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://tucsoncitizen.com/medicare/?p=288</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Republicans want to repeal the 2010 Affordable Care Act which impacts a broad range of medical and health  insurance issues.  Many of the reforms are actually quite popular with the public.  Here are some changes that will affect Medicare beneficiaries in 2011. Medicare will increase payments for primary care services by 10 percent. This increase applies [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://tucsoncitizen.com/medicare/2011/01/18/health-care-reform-and-medicare-in-2011/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>8</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Medicare Annual Enrollment Period:  Done</title>
		<link>http://tucsoncitizen.com/medicare/2011/01/01/medicare-annual-enrollment-period-done/</link>
		<comments>http://tucsoncitizen.com/medicare/2011/01/01/medicare-annual-enrollment-period-done/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 01 Jan 2011 16:59:18 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Denise Early</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Health]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Arizona Medicare]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[arizona medicare advantage]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Medicare Advantage]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[medicare advantage tucson]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[medicare annual enrollment period]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[medicare arizona]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[medicare blog]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[medicare change]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[medicare open enrollment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[medicare tucson]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[part d help]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[tucson medicare]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://tucsoncitizen.com/medicare/?p=285</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The Annual Enrollment Period for Medicare beneficiaries ended at midnight, December 31st.  Medicare beneficiaries who wanted to (or needed to) change their Medicare Advantage plan or their Part D drug plan should have take action by this time. For those who delayed or didn&#8217;t pay attention, their opportunity to make a change has passed. I [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://tucsoncitizen.com/medicare/2011/01/01/medicare-annual-enrollment-period-done/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>15</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Good News From Medicare:  Tucson Senior is Alive!</title>
		<link>http://tucsoncitizen.com/medicare/2010/12/29/good-news-from-medicare-tucson-senior-is-alive/</link>
		<comments>http://tucsoncitizen.com/medicare/2010/12/29/good-news-from-medicare-tucson-senior-is-alive/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 29 Dec 2010 16:34:48 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Denise Early</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Health]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Arizona Medicare]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[arizona medicare advantage]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Medicare Advantage]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[medicare advantage arizona]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[medicare advantage problems]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[medicare advantage tucson]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[medicare blog]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[medicare news]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[medicare tucson]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[social security news]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[tucson social security]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://tucsoncitizen.com/medicare/?p=283</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The Tucson senior whose Medicare record was incorrectly changed to &#8220;deceased&#8221; received good news yesterday.  He got a call from a Medicare representative to inform him that his record had been corrected.  I was very impressed that Medicare, a bureaucracy with over 40 million members, called this man to apologize for the problem and let [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://tucsoncitizen.com/medicare/2010/12/29/good-news-from-medicare-tucson-senior-is-alive/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Medicare Supplement vs Medicare Advantage</title>
		<link>http://tucsoncitizen.com/medicare/2010/12/22/medicare-supplement-vs-medicare-advantage/</link>
		<comments>http://tucsoncitizen.com/medicare/2010/12/22/medicare-supplement-vs-medicare-advantage/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 22 Dec 2010 15:40:52 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Denise Early</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Health]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[aarp medicare supplement]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Arizona Medicare]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[arizona medicare advantage]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[arizona medicare supplement]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[medicare 85711]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Medicare Advantage]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[medicare advantage arizona]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[medicare advantage tucson]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[medicare arizona]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[medicare blog]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[medicare part d arizona]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[medicare supplement arizona]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[medicare tucson]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://tucsoncitizen.com/medicare/?p=277</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I received the following email yesterday and I thought I would post the question and my response here. &#8220;I am a female aged 75, widow. Since age 65, I have always had Plan J, AARP/United Health Care medigap/supplement insurance ($229 mo that also includes Part D Rx). A rep from United Health Care called me [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://tucsoncitizen.com/medicare/2010/12/22/medicare-supplement-vs-medicare-advantage/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>7</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Only Four More Weeks to Change Medicare Coverage</title>
		<link>http://tucsoncitizen.com/medicare/2010/12/06/only-four-more-weeks-to-change-medicare-coverage/</link>
		<comments>http://tucsoncitizen.com/medicare/2010/12/06/only-four-more-weeks-to-change-medicare-coverage/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 06 Dec 2010 15:49:54 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Denise Early</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Health]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Arizona Medicare]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[arizona medicare advantage]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[change medicare advantage plans]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[health net amber]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Medicare Advantage]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[medicare advantage problems]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[medicare advantage tucson]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[medicare annual enrollment period]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[medicare blog]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[medicare change]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[medicare open enrollment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[medicare supplement arizona]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[medicare supplement tucson]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[medicare tucson]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[tucson medicare]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://tucsoncitizen.com/medicare/?p=271</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Medicare beneficiaries have until the end of December to make changes to their Medicare coverage if they are thinking about moving to another Medicare Advantage plan or stand-alone Part D drug plan.  Folks who have only Medicare and no supplement may want to consider their options among Medicare Advantage plans and Medicare supplements.  But everyone [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://tucsoncitizen.com/medicare/2010/12/06/only-four-more-weeks-to-change-medicare-coverage/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>5</slash:comments>
		</item>
	</channel>
</rss>
