https://www.cbsnews.com/video/county-in-kansas-jailing-people-over-unpaid-medical-debt/ People facing jail over unpaid medical debt Some Americans who are struggling to pay their medical bills are now facing jail time. In partnership with ProPublica, Meg Oliver reports on a town in Kansas where people are being put behind bars for falling behind on their payments.
Wasn’t there a scandal a few years ago where some politicians enacted some laws to create a steady stream of “clients” for a private prison system that was a heavy donor to those same politicians? Dick Cheney, former VP under Bush Jr., has an interest in a private prison system in at least Texas. Ironically, the prison system, whether public or private, has an obligation to provide at least basic healthcare for inmates.
More of a reason to hate lawyers acting as collection agencies. People are being jailed for failure to appear which makes the title of the article misleading. Still, with all of the real criminals in government and all of it's agencies the system should be jailing them rather than people with unpaid medical bills.
I do wish, though, even while sympathizing with the debtors, that the frigging interviewer would do a halfway decent interview and ask the fundamental questions. instead of just trying to find an injustice to help get one of the networks candidate's re-elected on healthcare issues. The alleged draconian process allows the debtor to miss two hearings before an arrest warrant is issued which seems more than reasonable. So what did we learn about why he did he not appear? He did not know the rules and was never notified? or he knew it but thought he was still good and tried his luck or what? At no time did I learn that he had to actually pay anything at those meetings/court appearances. Just that he needed to be there and if not having the money was a reason that could be stated there and discussed. How bout putting some content into the story next time CBS. Or maybe that was just a snippet from a larger interview. I don't know.
That doesn't push the narrative so no can do the job of an actaul investigative reporter. Journalism is dead, we only have political activists posing as such.