We’re back! Dealing with the cost of health care seems pretty relevant right now.

FromAn Arm and a Leg

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We’re back! Dealing with the cost of health care seems pretty relevant right now.

FromAn Arm and a Leg

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Length:

2 minutes

Released:

Jul 27, 2020

Format:

Podcast episode

Description

There's no time like a pandemic to (a) learn to fight back against the awful cost of health care. And (b) have a good time doing it. Yep. Let’s go. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Released:

Jul 27, 2020

Format:

Podcast episode

Titles in the series (100)

A show about why health care costs so freaking much, and what we can (maybe) do about it. Hosted by award-winning reporter Dan Weissmann (Marketplace, 99 Percent Invisible, Planet Money, Reveal). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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A podcast about the cost of health care, coming November 2018: The spiraling cost of medical care shapes people’s lives: The jobs we’re afraid to leave because of insurance, the risk that a trip to the doc could end in bankruptcy. It’s not healthy. This is my story too, and that’s why I’m making this podcast. by An Arm and a Leg
4 min listen
A place where they do health care more cheaply and effectively. (And yes, it’s in the U.S.): For our Season 2 finale, time for some inspiration. For 30 years, James Gingerich has run a super-effective clinic in Indiana, delivering great results at low cost — to high-need, low-income patients. He’s not a modest guy, by An Arm and a Leg
23 min listen
How much for an MRI? Well, that depends…: This week, we look at three MRIs with four different price tags, and an enormous range. The first two price tags come from listener Liz Salmi, who has been living with brain cancer for more than a decade. Liz gets MRI scans twice a year, by An Arm and a Leg
22 min listen
All the Marbles: One woman’s epic quest for health insurance (Season One, episode 2): Laura Derrick takes a drug that costs more than $500,000 a year. So when her family was going to lose their insurance, she made crazy sacrifices… and changed the course of history. Find Us Online Website: http://armandalegshow. by An Arm and a Leg
19 min listen
How one drug got its $500,000 price tag. (With 99 Percent Invisible– Season One, episode 3): The answer involves a suburban housewife, a 1970s TV star, and a Las Vegas maker of popcorn and nacho cheese sauce. Also: Wall Street. Produced with our friends at 99 Percent Invisible. Many thanks to Abbey Meyers, Joshua Schein, and Nora Guthrie. by An Arm and a Leg
25 min listen
Why Health Insurance Actually Sucks (Season One, episode 6): Turns out, insurance companies allow — even encourage — crazy price-gouging by hospitals. For example, the leg brace Blake needed was available for $150 on Amazon. But thanks to his insurance, he paid more than $500. by An Arm and a Leg
17 min listen
Coming next week: The price of insulin: As we started working on season two of this podcast, there was one topic that seemed like we just had to look at: insulin. … and I wondered: There are stories about insulin prices everywhere. Would we really have something to add? by An Arm and a Leg
2 min listen
Why can't they tell you the price upfront?: When Sarah's son got a nasty cut, she did just about everything she could to avoid paying a fat bill to get the boy's knee stitched up — and failed. Which raises a big question: Why is it so hard to get a PRICE? We got some answers. by An Arm and a Leg
26 min listen
This is Water, and it sucks. Let’s talk. (Season One, episode 1): When I first started talking about doing a show about the cost of health care… everybody had a story. Including me. It’s like that famous speech by the writer David Foster Wallace called This is Water. It starts with a joke about two young fish swimmin... by An Arm and a Leg
20 min listen
Why are ER bills so horrible? Sarah Kliff spent a year finding out. (Season One, episode 7): Emergency rooms often bill you a “cover charge” just for walking in the door, and it can be thousands of dollars. That’s in addition to the huge markup on everything that happens there: seven bucks for a band-aid. Twenty dollars for a couple of pills. by An Arm and a Leg
19 min listen
To get paid, hospitals get creative: Hospital bills are too high, and insurance doesn’t cover enough. Turns out, that’s a crisis for hospitals too: more and more of us aren’t paying those bills, because we can’t. So, they’re getting creative about collecting — and offering discounts. by An Arm and a Leg
16 min listen
Whoa, this medical device is spying on me. In my sleep. So my insurer can deny me coverage.: That’s the rude awakening Eric Umansky got when he called the company that provided his CPAP machine — a device that helps him breathe at night. He got mad. And he got even, in a way: Eric is an editor at the non-profit newsroom ProPublica, by An Arm and a Leg
17 min listen
Why you (and I) will likely pick the wrong health-insurance plan (Season One, episode 4) by An Arm and a Leg
19 min listen
Reporter's Notebook: What we've learned so far, and what's ahead.: This bonus episode turns the tables: Ace reporter Sally Herships interviews Arm and a Leg host Dan Weissmann, about what he's learned so far, and what's ahead for the show. \They dig into the stories listeners are sharing -- the lessons peopl... by An Arm and a Leg
34 min listen
$Reporter's Notebook: What we've learned so far, and what's ahead.: This bonus episode turns the tables: Ace reporter Sally Herships interviews Arm and a Leg host Dan Weissmann, about what he's learned so far, and what's ahead for the show. \They dig into the stories listeners are sharing -- the lessons peopl...$
So, Robin Hood’s got an approach to medical bills. (Season One, episode 5): The health-care system — especially the financial side — can feel like a Medieval torture device. So maybe it fits that workers from Renaissance fairs have come up with a work-around. In this episode I meet Robin Hood and a woman who has made more than... by An Arm and a Leg
16 min listen
My Neighbor the Health-Care Ninja: Meredith Balogh has spent years learning to navigate the financial side of the health-care system. She’s a type-one diabetic, she’s never had a lot of money, and for years she didn’t have health insurance.It hasn’t been easy, but she’s become a mast... by An Arm and a Leg
30 min listen
We thought we had adulted properly: Caitlin and Corey Gaffer got a surprise letter from their insurance company — saying they were being dumped for non-payment. Except, as far as they knew, they were paid up. As it turned out, they’d made a couple of small mistakes, by An Arm and a Leg
24 min listen
This hospital sued thousands of patients — until a reporter called them out.: They say the problem with relying on journalists to embarrass providers into caving on crazy bills is, there aren’t enough journalists to go around. Fair. But sometimes journalists can scale up.In Memphis, reporter Wendi Thomas found that t... by An Arm and a Leg
23 min listen
An actor walks into a doctor’s office…: Researcher Saul Weiner has been sending fake patients — actors, wired for sound — into real doctors’ offices, to learn about what actually happens, especially: How well doctors really listen to their patients. by An Arm and a Leg
18 min listen
Christmas in July: How one family's tragedy became, decades later, a $1 million gift to their neighbors. This story has everything: Laughter. Tears. Family. Community. Generosity. Softball. AND: Punk rock. John Oliver. A taco bar. by An Arm and a Leg
26 min listen
Watch Your Back: Outwitting the Back-Pain Industry: Cathryn Jakobson Ramin, an investigative reporter with a bad back, spent years researching the $100-billion back-pain industry. She found that the most commonly-prescribed treatments, including surgery, frequently do not work — and often leave people a... by An Arm and a Leg
29 min listen
A “deal” on health insurance comes with troubling strings: Bari Tessler is a little famous as a “financial therapist,” but even she gets rattled by the price of health care. Also: What my family is doing for health insurance next year. by An Arm and a Leg
22 min listen
How Katelyn survived COVID—without going bankrupt. (Not easy. She has tips.): In early April, Katelyn was in a financial bind: Home sick with COVID, she hadn't been paid in weeks. And bills were due. "My landlord is kinda beating down my door right now," she said.She made it through—with with hard-won tips for a... by An Arm and a Leg
22 min listen
Why are drug prices so random? Meet Mr. PBM: I filled a prescription recently, and the drugstore said they wanted more than 700 bucks… for an old-line generic drug. My insurance ended up knocking that down, but it was WEIRD. And it meant a big homework assignment for me. Luckily, I got help. by An Arm and a Leg
18 min listen
The severe, weird recession... in health care. And what it means for our wallets: You've probably noticed: The U.S. economy is crashing.Something you may not have noticed, that may sound really weird: Almost half of that economic devastation comes from just one sector. And that sector? It's health care. by An Arm and a Leg
18 min listen
Hey there! Season 3 is coming November 14. Here’s a preview.: It’s going to be REALLY fun. Also, maybe useful. Catch you here soon! Also, here’s a little video preview. Wanna share it with folks? Be our guest! Here it is on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Vimeo. by An Arm and a Leg
2 min listen
The surprising history behind insulin’s absurd price (and some hopeful signs in the wild): The price of insulin is iconic in its horribleness— doubling, tripling, multiplying like crazy. To understand it, we went back almost 100 years and dug up a story of sweaty Canadian researchers — swatting away flies and consorting with dog-nappers... by An Arm and a Leg
27 min listen
We’re back! Here’s a taste of Season 2, launching June 4.: Hey there! We’ve been working hard on season 2. We hope you enjoy this preview — there’s so much good (and frightening) stuff ahead. by An Arm and a Leg
2 min listen
COVID tests are free, except... when they're not: Anna's insurance company said it would pay 100 percent for COVID-related testing. And then they left her to pay a giant bill. She got help, thanks to a viral tweet, but her story exposes big loopholes in consumer protections. We learn how not to f... by An Arm and a Leg
21 min listen
Health Care: The Musical: It would sound a LOT like Explanation of Benefits, which is a musical revue that actually played in New York City in 2019.... so it would feature a parody of "Bills, Bills, Bills" — the 1999 Destiny's Child hit —rewritten for... by An Arm and a Leg
22 min listen

More Episodes from An Arm and a Leg

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We’re digging into “facility fees.” We need your help.: Why we’re collecting your stories about these sneaky fees. by An Arm and a Leg
10 min listen
The Hack: A cyberattack against a giant gets us thinking about antitrust. by An Arm and a Leg
22 min listen
Son of Medicare: Attack of the Machines: How UnitedHealth used an algorithm to cut off care for seniors. by An Arm and a Leg
30 min listen
The Medicare Episode: It’s not free. It’s not simple. And of course there are scams. If you (or anyone you care about) are anywhere near 65, we’ve got some wild, important news that you need. by An Arm and a Leg
29 min listen
Wait, is insulin cheaper now?: We break down some news about insulin — the so-called “poster child” for the high cost of prescription drugs — and what activists still want to see happen. by An Arm and a Leg
25 min listen
Self defense 101: Keeping your cool while you fight by An Arm and a Leg
25 min listen
One last tip before 2024: Mini-ep: What some hospitals won't tell you by An Arm and a Leg
4 min listen
When hospitals sue patients (part 2): What if they just… stopped? by An Arm and a Leg
37 min listen
When hospitals sue patients (part 1): Why do they do it? There isn’t much money in it. by An Arm and a Leg
28 min listen
To get health insurance, this couple made a movie: A funny, sweet (OK sweet-and-sour) health insurance story by An Arm and a Leg
19 min listen
“Your Money or Your Life”: Dr. Luke Messac’s book on the history of medical debt: An ER doc and trained historian looks at what ails us. by An Arm and a Leg
26 min listen
Paging Dr. Glaucomflecken: Presenting “The Nocturnists - Conversations: Will & Kristin Flanary (The Glaucomfleckens)”: Plus a good-news update from us (and John Green). by An Arm and a Leg
64 min listen
John Green vs. Johnson & Johnson (part 2): Part two of our globe-spanning story about drugs, patents, and YouTube megastar John Green. by An Arm and a Leg
26 min listen
John Green vs. Johnson & Johnson (part 1) by An Arm and a Leg
23 min listen
Something's coming, something good.: You're gonna love this next one. by An Arm and a Leg
4 min listen
How to Get a Surprise Bill on Your Way to the Hospital by An Arm and a Leg
20 min listen
Wait, what’s a PBM (and how do they work)? by An Arm and a Leg
22 min listen
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. by An Arm and a Leg
22 min listen
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? by An Arm and a Leg
23 min listen
Mental health ‘ghost networks’ — and a ghost-buster by An Arm and a Leg
25 min listen
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. by An Arm and a Leg
27 min listen
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 by An Arm and a Leg
29 min listen
Lessons from “wrestling with a giant” by An Arm and a Leg
20 min listen
The bill looked like BS. So she took it to small claims court.: A listener wrote: “I sued a hospital in small claims court.” She lost, but felt like she’d won — and learned a ton. Now she wants to encourage more people to try it. You’re gonna want to hear this story. by An Arm and a Leg
26 min listen
Can They Freaking Do That?!? (2023 Edition): Can a random medical provider send you an outrageously random bill? Sure. Can you fight back and win sometimes? Yes. by An Arm and a Leg
21 min listen
2022 in Review: The Arm and a Leg team looks back on moments when work collided with real life. by An Arm and a Leg
14 min listen
Like pulling teeth. by An Arm and a Leg
26 min listen
The best video about health insurance, ever: ... and how it came to be. by An Arm and a Leg
19 min listen
Health insurance post-Roe, and a grassroots network of abortion funds: Insurance is a wild card, and has always left lots of people uncovered. by An Arm and a Leg
26 min listen
A listener asks: Could NOT having insurance be a better deal?: Open enrollment for health insurance is here. A listener asks: “Should my son even sign up for insurance? I may have found a better deal.” by An Arm and a Leg
27 min listen

Discover this podcast and so much more

We’re back! Dealing with the cost of health care seems pretty relevant right now.

We’re back! Dealing with the cost of health care seems pretty relevant right now.

Description

Titles in the series (100)

More Episodes from An Arm and a Leg