An Arm and a Leg
An Arm and a Leg is a podcast about why health care costs so freaking much and what we can (maybe) do about it.
If you’ve ever been surprised by a medical bill, you’re in good company. But as our team of seasoned journalists has learned from years of reporting — you’re not always helpless. We don’t have all the answers, but we’ll offer you tools and big picture insights with plenty of humor and heart.
An Arm and a Leg is produced independently and distributed in partnership with KUOW and KFF Health News.
You can support An Arm and a Leg by donating at armandalegshow.com/support/
Show Credits: Created, hosted, and produced by Dan Weissmann with senior producer Emily Pisacreta and engagement producer Claire Davenport, and edited by Ellen Weiss. Audio wizard: Adam Raymonda. Music is by Dave Weiner and Blue Dot Sessions. Bea Bosco is the consulting director of operations. Lynne Johnson is the operations manager.
Episodes
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Paging Dr. Glaucomflecken: Presenting “The Nocturnists - Conversations: Will & Kristin Flanary (The Glaucomfleckens)”
Plus a good-news update from us (and John Green).
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Credit Card, Please
A listener’s doctor wanted her credit card info up front — before her appointment. She wondered: Do I need to give it to them? We did too.
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A ‘payday loan’ from a health care behemoth
What happens when a single company runs the most U.S. health insurance plans, owns a network employing more doctors than anyone else, and starts to get into the business of loaning money to doctors?
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A $229,000 medical bill goes to court
Before her surgery, a hospital told Lisa French she would end up owing them $1,337. After insurance paid them — more than they’d expected to get — the hospital billed her $229,000. And sued her for it.
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A doctor’s love letter to ‘the People’s Hospital’
What if we had a decent, publicly-funded health system — available to everybody, with or without insurance? We’ve got one, says Dr. Ricardo Nuila. It’s where he works
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Like pulling teeth.
Insurance bites, but we've learned a bunch here.
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Quick update from Arm and a Leg HQ
... and a preview of what's coming up
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Credit Where It’s Due
A lot of medical debt will be coming off of credit reports. We weren’t convinced it was such a big deal. Turns out, we were wrong
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Sick Note, pt. 2: Dang
Dan’s COVID hung on there for a while, kept him SUPER tired. Yoinks. Back in a couple weeks!
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Sick Note: Dan has COVID. (He's fine, but ...)
He's kinda tired. Back in 2 weeks with a full episode!
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Fighting for the Right to Help
It’s illegal to advise someone who’s being sued for medical debt. (Unless you’re a lawyer.) As in, you could go to jail. Two New Yorkers are fighting to change that.
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Swimming with sharks
Pharma and insurance companies play devious, clever games, competing for dollars. They’re sharks! And they want to eat us alive.