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


Then she started getting alerts on her phone from the hospital that she owed $139,000 — the full cost of her surgery. 


But Caitlyn, a legal assistant in Oklahoma, instinctively knew a cardinal rule of the American healthcare system — “never pay the first bill.” 


It’s a lesson we first heard from the journalist Marshall Allen, whose 2021 book Never Pay the First Bill serves as a how-to guide for anyone facing down a potentially bogus medical bill, and whose passing earlier this year left a giant hole in the hearts of many. 


This episode is an extended version of a recent installment of the NPR and KFF Health News series Bill of the Month. 


Here’s a transcript of this episode. 


Send your stories and questions. Or call 724 ARM-N-LEG.


Of course we’d love for you to support this show.

Caitlyn Mai expected her share of a recent surgery bill to be about $2,000, with insurance covering the rest.&nbsp; Then she started getting alerts on her phone from the hospital that she owed $139,000 — the full cost of her surgery.&nbsp; But Caitlyn, a legal assistant in Oklahoma, instinctively knew a cardinal rule of the American healthcare system — “never pay the first bill.”&nbsp; It’s a lesson we first heard from the journalist Marshall Allen, whose 2021 book Never Pay the First Bill serves as a how-to guide for anyone facing down a potentially bogus medical bill, and whose passing earlier this year left a giant hole in the hearts of many.&nbsp; This episode is an extended version of a recent installment of the <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/shots-health-news/2024/07/16/nx-s1-5036595/hearing-implant-preapproved-still-got-multiple-139000-bills" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">NPR and KFF Health News series Bill of the Month</a>.&nbsp; <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1rd_snPlzkyRFSaGQPw2Zy25IoDlkenA_/view?usp=sharing" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Here’s a transcript of this episode</a>.&nbsp; <a href="https://armandalegshow.com/contact/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Send your stories and questions.</a> Or call 724 ARM-N-LEG. Of course we’d love for you to<a href="https://armandalegshow.com/support/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> support this show</a>.

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 is by Dave Weiner and Blue Dot Sessions. Bea Bosco is our consulting director of operations. Lynne Johnson is our operations manager.

An Arm and a Leg&nbsp;is a podcast about why health care costs so freaking much and what we can (maybe) do about it.
If you&rsquo;ve ever been surprised by a medical bill, you&rsquo;re in good company. But as our team of seasoned journalists has learned from years of reporting &mdash; you&rsquo;re not always helpless. We don&rsquo;t have all the answers, but we&rsquo;ll offer you tools and big picture insights with plenty of humor and heart.&nbsp;
An Arm and a Leg is co-produced with <a href="https://kffhealthnews.org/">KFF Health News</a> and distributed in partnership with <a href="https://www.kuow.org/">KUOW</a>.
You can support An Arm and a Leg&nbsp;by donating at <a href="https://armandalegshow.com/support/">armandalegshow.com/support/</a>
<hr>
Show Credits:&nbsp;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 is by Dave Weiner and Blue Dot Sessions. Bea Bosco is our consulting director of operations. Lynne Johnson is our operations manager.

An Arm and a Leg

How one woman stared down a six-figure medical bill and won.

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