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An Arm and a Leg

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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 co-produced with KFF Health News and distributed in partnership with KUOW.

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, edited by Ellen Weiss. Audio wizard: Adam Raymonda. Music by Dave Winer and Blue Dot Sessions. Bea Bosco is the consulting director of operations. Lynne Johnson is the operations manager.

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Episodes

  • 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?

  • 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.

  • 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

  • Sick Note, pt. 2: Dang

    Dan’s COVID hung on there for a while, kept him SUPER tired. Yoinks. Back in a couple weeks!

  • 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.

  • Swimming with sharks

    Pharma and insurance companies play devious, clever games, competing for dollars. They’re sharks! And they want to eat us alive.

  • The Insurance Warrior takes on a $61B Company

    When Mattew Lientz needed surgery to save his life, his insurance wouldn’t cover it. Enter: Laurie Todd, the Insurance Warrior. Her first task: Figuring out who Matthew was really fighting, and how big the battle really was.