In surveys, one in four Americans report having to skip their medications due to cost. We asked our listeners: what strategies have you used when you’ve been hit with pharmacy sticker shock? 

We heard from a ton of you – with stories, strategies and workarounds that surprised and encouraged us.

None of them will work for everybody. This is a set of patches and bandaids for a broken system. But if there’s one that’ll work for you, we want to help you find it. So we’re bringing you the most-complete, best-organized set of patches we can.  

In this episode — the first of two episodes — a dad named Bob tells us how he learned some hard-earned lessons. 

When Bob’s teenage daughter Mary was diagnosed with epilepsy, it took her doctors years of trial and error to find the right treatment. It finally worked, Mary's seizures stopped — and then, when Bob's insurance changed, the price tag for Mary's meds went through the roof.

What Bob did next represents one possible journey through the dizzying (and often exasperating) maze of potential workarounds for getting your medicine at a price you can afford. 

We’ve started compiling lessons from Bob’s story and others in our First Aid Kitnewsletter. 

Our first installment features a price comparison spreadsheet… inspired by Bob (who we’d like to nominate for Dad of the Year). 

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.

In surveys, one in four Americans report having to skip their medications due to cost. We asked our listeners: what strategies have you used when you&rsquo;ve been hit with pharmacy sticker shock?&nbsp;
We heard from a ton of you &ndash; with stories, strategies and workarounds that surprised and encouraged us.
None of them will work for everybody. This is a set of patches and bandaids for a broken system. But if there&rsquo;s one that&rsquo;ll work for you, we want to help you find it. So we&rsquo;re bringing you the most-complete, best-organized set of patches we can.&nbsp;&nbsp;
In this episode &mdash; the first of two episodes &mdash; a dad named Bob tells us how he learned some hard-earned lessons.&nbsp;
When Bob&rsquo;s teenage daughter Mary was diagnosed with epilepsy, it took her doctors years of trial and error to find the right treatment. It finally worked, Mary's seizures stopped &mdash; and then, when Bob's insurance changed, the price tag for Mary's meds went through the roof.
What Bob did next represents one possible journey through the dizzying (and often exasperating) maze of potential workarounds for getting your medicine at a price you can afford.&nbsp;
We&rsquo;ve started compiling lessons from Bob&rsquo;s story and others in our <a href="https://armandalegshow.com/firstaidkit">First Aid Kit </a>newsletter.&nbsp;
Our first installment features a&nbsp;<a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1bHwwgFDx8k97QvK0uVXHTcKf2H6TwLc3sYgtWkRcKgA/edit?usp=sharing">price comparison spreadsheet</a>&hellip; inspired by Bob (who we&rsquo;d like to nominate for Dad of the Year).&nbsp;
<a href="https://armandalegshow.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/WEB-TRANSCRIPT_REDACTED_of-S13_Ep09_Drugs-Part-1-.pdf">Here&rsquo;s a transcript of this episode</a>.&nbsp;
<a href="https://armandalegshow.com/contact/">Send your stories and questions.</a> Or call 724 ARM-N-LEG.
Of course we&rsquo;d love for you to <a href="https://armandalegshow.com/support/">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.

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