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Living With Part D


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This short video is on Ms Blue, a teacher who once worked for the Philadelphia school system. On the Part D drug plan under Medicare started in January 2006, Ms Blue was not able to get life-saving treatment for her cancer because it was a pill she could not afford under the plan.

The Medicare Part D drug benefit is meant to help pay for medications. But the way itÂ’s currently set up, people like Ms Blue with expensive drugs have had a tough time. Ms Blue passed on in April 2007, nearly a year and a half after she went on the plan in January of the previous year. She did not have access to medication over this period.
Pia78

12 responses // Living With Part D

  • I love that you chose to present this story. I for one don't know very much about the whole medicare part D issue. I dont assume you are finished with this. While I think there are great elements in the pod to tell this story but there are some changes I would suggest.

    The flow of story is leading in a few directions and I dont think they all run together. for example I am not sure what you were trying to convey with the pennies story.

    For the purpose of directing the story, I would swap two clips of Ms Blue. The one where she talks about having to pay more and her end statement.
    In my mind when she talks about the oral (which it took me two viewings to understand meant the pills) she's explaining what she's lacking because of the change in plan, and when she explains the cost that she has to bear, In my mind that is the whole point of the story, that she did what was asked of her (in paying into the system, taxes, etc) and after 30 yrs of doing that, she's not able to get her benefit.

    Last thing the b-roll -- a lot of it seems random to me, but that may be your vision. If it's not I would consider relating the B-roll more to what is being said in the voice over.

    overall it's an important story and it informed me in this version. you get my greenlight, it can only get better. goodluck.
    jscott
  • Simple & powerful. Definite GL -- this needs to get on the air.
    DanPersons
  • i am currently being forced to watch as my mother dies because of cancer. helpless and hopeless is a horrible place to be. i try not to harbour feelings of agression but these neo-con nazi bastards in office will stop at nothing to destroy this country for thier personal gain. unfortunately this is but one of the millions of lives adversely affected.
    VideoPimps
  • I agree with Jscott on the re-edit....and you need to tighten up a lot of the edits, you can drive a truck through some of the holes...There are several tangents here, some needs to be dropped or otherwise moved around to make a more forceful story........This story needs to have a lot of IMPACT and the way it's presented it doesn't....

    Kudos for bringing to Current TV the PART D message.....You've touched the surface, I know as I "Live with Part D" myself and am now struggling with D like 300 million others.
    CharlieG
  • It's the message. GL
    WIZAURADPRO
  • Medicare Part D is a rip off. It will wind up killing poor senior citizens whose medicines will not be covered under this new plan, which imo is leading us to more privatization of a healthcare system that has already been totally ruined by insurance companies making decisions over doctors, and private companies giving less than quality care to keep expenses down. Having to pay thousands out of your pocket for this plan before Medicare will even cover it, and then falling into their "donut" as they call it is a travesty. Thank you for this video. It gets a definite GL and deserves to be on air because this country needs to see how our senior citizens are treated for all of their years of work and sacrifice. I wish this woman well. BTW, do you know of a place anyone who wishes to help her pay for her Tarceva can send a couple of dollars to help her out? My mother died of cancer when I was very young... I would hate to see that young boy lose his grandmother simply because this corporate system is keeping her from getting what she needs to surivive.
    Thanks again.
    JanforGore
  • Hi Pia,

    I just sent you an e-mail. Miss Blue's story unfortunately is one of thousands of seniors who now choose between eating or buying medicine. Now with Medicare part D the choice is made for them because they can't afford the medicines ( because the reality is that all of us do not have the same chances in life,) and this is simply unconscienable in a country that touts itself as "the richest in the world." I was really hoping this pod would make tv. It needs to be seen.

    Thanks for your response.
    Jan
    JanforGore
  • A good subject...
    willq
  • Making a film like this brings to light a sad state in our country regarding the way we care for our elder society. People like Ms Blue who lend their lives to the process of educating our future, yet our society are not set up to answer her need for care.
    lorenza
  • Beautifully filmed and presented. Very touching.
    JoeWilson
  • this is a great POD everyone will be elderly someday its in evitable so why does the system treat its elders this way? elders use to be the wizards and the wise in the old dayz..what happened??...
    adachi
  • Well done. The system is messed up, Glad to see there is some light being shed. Definite GL.
    Eggzie

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