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First-time director hopes 'Thank You for Your Service' will comfort military veterans
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Haley Bennett and Miles Teller star in DreamWorks Pictures "Thank You for Your Service." The drama follows a group of U.S. soldiers returning from Iraq who struggle to integrate back into family and civilian life. - photo by Josh Terry
For first-time director and veteran Hollywood screenwriter Jason Hall, the process of bringing David Finkels book Thank You for Your Service to the big screen was driven by a personal connection.

I poured my heart into this script, said Hall in a phone interview, noting an uncle who fought in Vietnam, a brother who served in Desert Storm and a grandfather who served in the Air Force during World War II.

Despite all the family connections, war stories were rarely shared among Halls family, so he was all the more impressed by the candid nature of Finkels effort, which recounts the true story of Sgt. Adam Schumann and several Iraq War veterans as they wrestle with their civilian lives.

Hall was impressed by the openness the veterans offered Finkel as he investigated their personal struggles, stating that he "wanted to do the same thing in terms of directing the film."

Hall first encountered Schumanns story while working on the American Sniper screenplay with Steven Spielberg, who was originally going to direct the story of veteran sniper Chris Kyle before stepping away in favor of Clint Eastwood. Spielberg gave Hall a copy of Finkel's book, imagining the film as a companion piece to the American Sniper film.

He asked if I thought they were too similar," Hall said. But I said that I didnt think so, that I felt one was the story of Achilles and the other was the story of Odysseus.

For Hall, Thank You for Your Service would be the compelling tale of the everyman who returns from war without all the accolades and honors, and he hoped the film would shed new light on what these guys go through when they come home.

Ultimately, Spielberg stepped away from Thank You for Your Service as well, and the directing reins fell to Hall. For the first-time director, the opportunity was described as both an honor and a giant be careful what you wish for situation.

To do the job, Hall built on his experience as a screenwriter.

I always try to write a script as if I was an architect drawing blueprints for a director, he said. If I dont see it, I dont write it.

He also benefitted from the help of the real-life veterans he was immortalizing on screen, adding that many were involved in the making of the film.

In fact, Sgt. Schumann was so helpful as a military adviser that he was shipped off to do the same job for an upcoming Ang Lee film, and both he and Sgt. Michael Adam Emory turn up on screen in Thank You for Your Service cameos (the real Sgt. Schumann actually greets his own character played by Miles Teller when he arrives at an airport early in the film.)

The veterans were also present for a special pre-screening, an experience Hall described as profound and moving.

"When you watch a movie in a theater, youre sharing the first collective unconscious of the people around you," he said. "You can pick up on the reactions, and that was certainly true for this viewing.

The director noted that after the screening, members of the audience people who had just watched their own lives play out on screen lingered alone to process the experience, but consistently used the word beautiful to describe what they had seen.

Hall hopes that the veterans who see the film will find comfort in knowing others have shared their experiences.

And for everyone else, Hall hopes that watching the film will allow them to come away with a new understanding of our veterans and what they go through, and create conversations that will find a new way to welcome (veterans) home.
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New Medicare cards are in the mail and scammers are on the prowl
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The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has begun mailing new Medicare Health Insurance ID cards. The program no longer uses Social Security numbers to identify people. - photo by Lois M Collins
The federal government is beginning to send out new ID cards to the 58 million Americans who benefit from Medicare. But since many of the people who will receive them don't know they're coming or why, scammers are already gearing up to take advantage.

An AARP survey shows as many as three-fourths of Americans 65 and older have no idea the cards are coming, so some individuals may be duped with claims that they're supposed to pay a fee or provide personal information that will be used, instead, to defraud them.

The new cards are the first reissue in years, and the most striking part of the redesign is that the cards no longer carry the beneficiary's Social Security number. Congress mandated the removal of that number as an identifier for Medicare beneficiaries by next April. Instead, the card has a Medicare Beneficiary Identifier number, an 11-digit combination of numbers and letters.

The new Medicare cards are now being mailed out in batches, starting with the Eastern seaboard and moving west. Most Medicare beneficiaries will receive their cards over the next six months, as long as the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has their correct mailing address. Once the cards are in hand, people can share the new identification number with their health care providers. During a transition period, either card is valid.

The old cards, which used Social Security numbers as the personal identification number, should be destroyed.

AARP recently launched an education campaign to warn consumers about scams related to the new Medicare cards.

The membership organization's "Fraud Watch" consultant, Frank Abagnale reformed con man, scammer and the subject of the movie and book "Catch Me If You Can" tells senior citizens the only time they need to carry the actual Medicare card is to health care appointments. Otherwise, it should be left in a safe place. If they want to carry one in their wallet or purse, he says, make a copy and black out the first seven numbers.

Since the cards were announced, scammers have already:

  • Called seniors and asked for their bank account information so that money on their old card could be returned. There is no money on the old card and CMS never asks for personal information over the phone.
  • Offered to send the new card after Medicare beneficiaries pay a $25 fee to cover expenses related to the card. The card is free.
  • Said the card will be mailed out as soon as the older person verifies his or her Social Security number, mailing address and other personal information. CMS already knows the beneficiary's Social Security number and it's no longer being used in conjunction with health care.
AARP and the Federal Trade Commission will hold a free online seminar about the cards and the fraud attempts they have spawned on Thursday, April 19, at 7 p.m. EDT. Register at: www.aarp.org/FraudWebinar. CMS also offers a "frequently asked questions" guide to the new cards.

The AARP Fraud Watch Network says consumers can sign up for its Watchdog Alert emails that deliver breaking scam information, or call a free helpline at 877-908-3360 to speak with volunteers trained in fraud counseling. Abagnale also hosts a weekly podcast for AARP, called The Perfect Scam.
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