An Arm and a Leg is a show about why health care costs so freaking much, and what we can (maybe) do about it. New episodes every three weeks.

An Arm and a Leg&nbsp;is a show about why health care costs so freaking much, and what we can (maybe) do about it. New episodes every three weeks.

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

This is An Arm and a Leg

With news blasting from Washington like a firehose, it feels impossible to take it all in — to stay on top of all the changes the Trump administration has been trying to make. 

But for health care, one person is probably closer to anyone than to understanding the full picture: KFF Heath News Chief Washington Correspondent Julie Rover.    

In this episode, Julie helps us see that picture, by telling us two stories:

The first concerns a teeny part of the health care system — an obscure federal agency, one of many that the Trump administration has taken a chainsaw to.

The other is anything but obscure: Possible cuts to Medicaid —which Julie thinks Republicans will actually find very difficult to make.

Plus, reporting from Julie’s KFF Health News colleague Arthur Allen. And a cameo from one of Julie’s beloved corgis.

Check out Julie’s weekly health policy news podcast: What the Health? 

Read more from Arthur Allen on cuts to AHRQ in KFF Health News:

What’s Lost: Trump Whacks Tiny Agency That Works To Make the Nation’s Health Care Safer

Trump HHS Eliminates Office That Sets Poverty Levels Tied to Benefits for at Least 80 Million People

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.

With news blasting from Washington like a firehose, it feels impossible to take it all in &mdash; to stay on top of all the changes the Trump administration has been trying to make.&nbsp;
But for health care, one person is probably closer to anyone than to understanding the full picture: KFF Heath News Chief Washington Correspondent Julie Rover.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
In this episode, Julie helps us see that picture, by telling us two stories:
The first concerns a teeny part of the health care system &mdash; an obscure federal agency, one of many that the Trump administration has taken a chainsaw to.
The other is anything but obscure: Possible cuts to Medicaid &mdash;which Julie thinks Republicans will actually find very difficult to make.
Plus, reporting from Julie&rsquo;s KFF Health News colleague Arthur Allen. And a cameo from one of Julie&rsquo;s beloved corgis.
Check out Julie&rsquo;s weekly health policy news podcast: <a href="https://kffhealthnews.org/news/tag/what-the-health/">What the Health?</a>&nbsp;
Read more from Arthur Allen on cuts to AHRQ in KFF Health News:
<a href="https://kffhealthnews.org/news/article/patient-safety-health-agency-dissolved-doge-federal-workforce-cuts-ahrq/">What&rsquo;s Lost: Trump Whacks Tiny Agency That Works To Make the Nation&rsquo;s Health Care Safer</a>
<a href="https://kffhealthnews.org/news/article/aspe-hhs-federal-poverty-guidelines-level-team-fired-medicaid-snap-wic/">Trump HHS Eliminates Office That Sets Poverty Levels Tied to Benefits for at Least 80 Million People</a>
<a href="https://armandalegshow.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/WEB-TRANSCRIPT_S13_Ep07_WTF-With-Julie-Rovner-Google-Docs.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>.

A longtime expert puts 2025-so-far in perspective

People who work in real-life emergency rooms have raved about how accurately the new drama The Pitt (Max) captures the dynamics and the medical details of their workplaces.

Here at An Arm and a Leg, we’ve been nerding out about how the show depicts the financial forces that shape the ER’s day-to-day problems like crowding, eternal wait times, and scary bills. 

For this episode, we got Dr. Alex Janke, an emergency medicine doctor and health policy researcher to nerd out with us. 

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.

People who work in real-life emergency rooms have raved about how accurately the new drama The Pitt (Max) captures the dynamics and the medical details of their workplaces.
Here at An Arm and a Leg, we&rsquo;ve been nerding out about how the show depicts the financial forces that shape the ER&rsquo;s day-to-day problems like crowding, eternal wait times, and scary bills.&nbsp;
For this episode, we got Dr. Alex Janke, an emergency medicine doctor and health policy researcher to nerd out with us.&nbsp;
<a href="https://armandalegshow.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/WEB-TRANSCRIPT_S13-Ep16_The-Pitt-.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>.

Why ‘The Pitt’ is our fave new drama

A few months ago, we got a note from a listener named Meagan, who wanted to thank us. 

She said the stories she heard on this show had given her the advice and encouragement she needed to finally win a fight against a medical bill she didn’t owe — a battle she’d been waging for more than two years.

As Meagan tells us, those two years were filled with wild twists and turns and a lot of disappointment.

We hear what kept her motivated and encouraged despite all the setbacks – and after an insurance rep pointed her to a free legal resource — the tactic that finally led to a breakthrough. 

Here’s a resource we mention — with a spoiler alert: It’s the sample cease-and-desist letter that a lawyer shared with Meagan. 

We’ll break down the details — how a letter like this could work, in certain situations — in a future First Aid Kit newsletter.

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.

A few months ago, we got a note from a listener named Meagan, who wanted to thank us.&nbsp;
She said the stories she heard on this show had given her the advice and encouragement she needed to finally win a fight against a medical bill she didn&rsquo;t owe &mdash; a battle she&rsquo;d been waging for more than two years.
As Meagan tells us, those two years were filled with wild twists and turns and a lot of disappointment.
We hear what kept her motivated and encouraged despite all the setbacks &ndash; and after an insurance rep pointed her to a free legal resource &mdash; the tactic that finally led to a breakthrough.&nbsp;
Here&rsquo;s a resource we mention &mdash; with a spoiler alert: It&rsquo;s the <a href="https://armandalegshow.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Sample-Ltr-Dispute-and-Cease-Desist.pdf">sample cease-and-desist letter</a> that a lawyer shared with Meagan.&nbsp;
We&rsquo;ll break down the details &mdash; how a letter like this could work, in certain situations &mdash; in a future <a href="http://armandalegshow.com/firstaidkit">First Aid Kit newsletter</a>.
<a href="https://armandalegshow.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/WEB-TRANSCRIPT_S13-Ep05_Meagan-Wins.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>.

This is An Arm and a Leg

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