Hey, first: This is a GREAT time to support us — right now, every gift gets matched! Click here to support... more

Several listeners sent us an article with the headline Make your health insurance cry, about a new AI tool to... more

Something different: We talk with journalist Cara Anthony about topics that don’t always come up in conversations about the cost... more

We're sharing an episode of “To See Each Other,” about a question that’s SUPER-relevant to this show:  How do we... more

An $88 “observation room” fee for a check-up didn’t sit right with Kari Greene, a listener from Oregon. When the... more

What happens when a hospital gets hit by a ransomware attack? We’re sharing an episode from a podcast called Click... more

Caitlyn Mai expected her share of a recent surgery bill to be about $2,000, with insurance covering the rest. Then she... more

We’re starting a new investigation and need your help. We’re looking into something we’ve talked about a lot on this... more

Georgann Boatright's local hospital told her she'd need to pay an $8,000 "operating room" charge for a test she was... more

For months now, you’ve been sharing stories with us about facility fees, those sneaky fees that keep showing up on... more

Folks who expected their health insurance to cover some out-of-network care have been getting stuck with enormous bills instead. Like... more

We take our first look at Medicaid— the big, federally-funded health insurance program for folks with lower incomes— for two... more

We’re launching a brand new project and need your help!We’re zooming in on charges that are becoming more and more... more

When a subsidiary of the giant UnitedHealth Group got hit by a cyberattack recently, a big chunk of the country’s... more

Reporter Bob Herman from STAT News unpacks his blockbuster investigation about the country’s biggest health care company.   Covering the American health... more

Health insurance sucks. Which leaves lots of us counting down the days until we turn 65 and can get on... more

A listener wrote to us at the beginning of the year with a query, “I was just reading the news... more

Dealing with the American health care system as a patient means lots of tough moments – unexpected bills, meds not... more

Real quick: Now's the best time to support this show! Thanks to a few super-star Arm and a Leg listener/donors,... more

Hey! The BEST time to support this show with a donation just got even better. Right now, any gift you... more

Hey, it’s the BEST time to support this show with a donation. Thanks to NewsMatch, any gift you make, up... more

Last fall, actor-writers Ellen Haun and Dru Johnston were hustling to get their health insurance sorted out for 2023. To... more

In 2019, Dr. Luke Messac was a medical resident who found himself spending his day off in a courthouse archive.... more

First: an update on our recent two-parter with the writer John Green, about the global, decades-long fight to make an... more

This is part two of our globe-spanning story about drugs, patents, and YouTube megastar John Green. Quick recap: In our last... more

This episode  is special. When we heard that widely-beloved writer John Green was rallying his online community  around a fight... more

Hey there— our next story is gonna take a little more time to cook, but it is going to be... more

For a year and a half now, the No Surprises Act has protected patients from some of the most outrageous... more

If you’ve been told your insurance won’t cover your meds — or that you’re gonna have to pay an arm... more

A listener’s doctor wanted her credit card info up front — before her appointment. She wondered: Do I need to... more

When a New York doctor tweeted recently about “payday loans” for doctors from a branch of UnitedHealth Group — which... more

For lots of people, trying to access mental health treatment — like a therapist or a psychiatrist —is nothing short... more

Before her surgery, a hospital told Lisa French she would end up owing them $1,337. After insurance paid them —... more

What if we had a decent, publicly-funded health system — available to everybody, with or without insurance? We’ve got one,... more

The ER visit was quick and uneventful. The bill was $1,300. Our listener decided to push back. He didn't win,... more

“I sued a hospital in small claims court and lost — here’s what I learned.” That was the subject line... more

We’re kicking off the year with a throwback. We revisit a 2019 episode that opened up new possibilities for fighting... more

The Arm and a Leg editorial team gathered to talk about the moments from 2022 that we’ll never forget —... more

When a car hit Susan and knocked out a bunch of teeth, her health insurance was supposed to pay for... more

A couple months ago, we started getting messages from listeners telling us: you gotta watch this video. It’s a thirty minute... more

Since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, abortion has been banned in more than a dozen states. As you... more

It’s open enrollment for 2023 health insurance for lots of folks — a time when you might find yourself asking:... more

Hey there,You may have noticed, we've been keeping a slower pace for the last few months — publishing every three... more

This year, the state of California put up $100 million to produce its own insulin, and sell it for cheap.... more

Lots of seniors have to pay thousands of dollars for drugs—even tens of thousands—or do without life-saving medicine. That’s finally... more

It’s often possible to negotiate medical bills. It sounds hard — and it can be — but what if we... more

Is it possible for a health care company to make enough people mad about their billing practices that it hurts... more

Thomas Fisher is an emergency room doc in Chicago. His book, The Emergency, is an up-close chronicle of the COVID... more

About a third of ER doctors now work for companies backed by private equity. A lot of those docs do... more

Credit reporting bureaus announced in April that they would start taking most medical debt off of people’s credit reports. At... more

A new golden age is dawning, and it starts where the sun don’t shine.A listener got a pricey quote for... more

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

Hey there — I got COVID a little before we were scheduled to tape this week's episode. Whoops! I'm fine... more

It’s illegal to advise someone who’s being sued for medical debt, unless you're a lawyer. Yep, really. Even in its... more

Pharma and insurance companies play devious, clever games, competing for dollars. They’re sharks! It’d be fun to track, but they’re... more

Last year we brought you the story — part caper, part tragedy — of how Philadelphia tried to hand off... more

Stephanie Wittels Wachs has made the show about a topic that's actually too enraging, terrifying, and depressing for An Arm... more

The No Surprises Act — a new law that protects us from some outrageous out-of-network hospital bills — takes effect... more

COVID testing—the kind they send to a lab— is supposed to be free in the U.S. But it’s never been... more

An Arm and a Leg wraps up a big year, and some of the team takes a moment to reflect.... more

Who’s making a buck: rapid test edition. Rapid, at-home COVID tests are pretty much essential if you want to see... more

Health insurance is like some medieval horror, says law professor Jackie Fox. But, funny thing: She also says insurance fights are... more

We kick off with a wild ride: How one journalist almost got roped into a scam.While hunting for a new... more

When Mattew Lientz needed surgery to save his life, his insurance wouldn’t cover it. Enter: Laurie Todd, the Insurance Warrior.... more

In 2005, Laurie Todd needed surgery to save her life. Her insurance company had no intention of paying for it.... more

Yup. A Stanford professor measured it. So… we should probably learn how they actually make money, understand their incentives. Here’s... more

Hospitals in Maryland were suing patients over bills that should’ve been forgiven.It wasn’t illegal. Until now. How a coalition changed... more

Manny Lanza died because he didn't have insurance. His parents fought back, with help from New York’s favorite tabloid. After... more

How one Republican senator made sure the ACA required non-profit hospitals to act more like charities—and less like loan sharks—before... more

The lawyer was Richard “Dickie” Scruggs, the lawyer who beat Big Tobacco in the 1990s. Later, he launched a series... more