Behind The Mic With Joe Mathieu: HealthCare.gov Spawns Bad Reporting

BOSTON (CBS) - Healthcare.gov has become a third rail in politics. Even some Democrats don't want to touch it.

We're learning more about what's wrong with the web site after some of its designers were called to testify on Capitol Hill. But one thing that's been clear to me since the site launched is that most people have no idea what they are talking about.

And that includes reporters and pundits, whether they are for or against the Affordable Care Act.

To be clear I am not a computer expert. But I understand the site was not tested properly after some big components were combined. And that the government failed to follow up.

Beyond that, I see a lot of bad reporting.

I've read that Healthcare.gov has 500 million lines of computer code and that millions of them must be rewritten. Sounds like serious stuff. But actual computer programmers say that doesn't even make sense because many write code in their own personal styles.

Some of them write long lines of code and others don't so the number can vary.

Now some people say they should just scrap the whole web site and start from scratch.

Maybe they should, I don't pretend to know. In fact I know just enough to know what I don't know.

But if Healthcare.gov is such a beast, and will take so long to fix, should we consider cutting the cord?

We know telephone operators are already standing by to help people with the site.

So how about we have them do it the old fashioned way?

You know, with a piece of paper?

It might actually work. And it could go a long way to building confidence in the not-so-new law.

Follow Joe on Twitter  @joemathieuwbz

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