By: David Schoales, Brattleboro
Is a software screw-up in the health exchanges really so important we have to hear about it over and over for weeks? Is it just because it’s a government screw-up?
How come we never hear about it when the visiting nurses are late or miss an appointment to care for Grampa, so Gramma misses her ride to her doctor’s appointment or can’t get groceries until the weekend? How come we don’t see coverage when the insurance company screws up the bill for three months and Mom sits on her bed in tears with bills and checks and statements and policies spread across the bed, trying to figure out if she made a mistake and worrying that she needs help but doesn’t want to be a “burden” to the kids?
I guess the difference is the private nurses and insurers just blow you off, while the government has to fix it. I guess that makes it more newsworthy.
And about the money for single-payer — don’t reporters realize that the payroll tax is the only one that is deductible? We are going to pay for health insurance. We already do. If we pay for health insurance out of our earnings, we have to pay tax on the earnings before we spend them on the insurance. If it comes out in payroll taxes, we don’t. Duh.