The elephant in the waiting-room

摘要

Thomas scully has a busy law office in Lake County, Indiana. He mainly practices disability law, with good reason. Lake County is home to steel mills. Workers have aching backs and hands warped by machinery. Mr Scully helps them win Social Security Disability Insurance (di), which provides cash and, after two years, access to Medicare, government-subsidised health insurance meant mainly for the elderly, di is not supposed to be a safety net for the jobless. "I tell clients", Mr Scully explains, "disability insurance is not unemployment insurance." But they should be forgiven for being confused.