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.

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.

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

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

This year, the price of health insurance increased dramatically for millions of people. Tens of millions. Obamacare subsidies shrunk, and premiums skyrocketed. 

People asked themselves: how on earth am I supposed to make this work? 

Two of those folks — attorney Nicole Wipp and skate-shop owner Noah Hulsman — tell the story of how they chose among lousy options.

Nicole chose to dump health insurance altogether — even though she could have found a way to pay for it. Noah chose to pay for coverage that sucks, because it’s all he can afford. 

Each made their choice in the context of their broader stories: Noah is deeply rooted in Louisville, KY, and lives about a mile from where his grandmother started Louisville’s first skate shop, around the time he was born.

Nicole’s story includes an expensive, life-threatening medical adventure a decade ago — and a series of choices that’s taken her family from Michigan to Hawaii to South Carolina. 

Reporters with KFF Health News have been talking with dozens of people all over the country about these kinds of choices for their series on the health insurance crisis, Priced Out. KFF Health News senior correspondent Renuka Rayasam, who introduced us to Nicole and Noah after writing about their stories, joins us to reflect on what these stories mean. 

Read more of Renuka Rayasam’s reporting:

When Health Insurance Costs More Than the Mortgage

It’s 2026 and You’re Uninsured. Now What? 

This year, the price of health insurance increased dramatically for millions of people. Tens of millions. Obamacare subsidies shrunk, and premiums skyrocketed.&nbsp;
People asked themselves: how on earth am I supposed to make this work?&nbsp;
Two of those folks &mdash; attorney Nicole Wipp and skate-shop owner Noah Hulsman &mdash; tell the story of how they chose among lousy options.
Nicole chose to dump health insurance altogether &mdash; even though she could have found a way to pay for it. Noah chose to pay for coverage that sucks, because it&rsquo;s all he can afford.&nbsp;
Each made their choice in the context of their broader stories: Noah is deeply rooted in Louisville, KY, and lives about a mile from where his grandmother started Louisville&rsquo;s first skate shop, around the time he was born.
Nicole&rsquo;s story includes an expensive, life-threatening medical adventure a decade ago &mdash; and a series of choices that&rsquo;s taken her family from Michigan to Hawaii to South Carolina.&nbsp;
Reporters with <a href="https://kffhealthnews.org/">KFF Health News</a> have been talking with dozens of people all over the country about these kinds of choices for their series on the health insurance crisis, <a href="https://kffhealthnews.org/priced-out/">Priced Out</a>. KFF Health News senior correspondent <a href="https://kffhealthnews.org/news/author/renuka-rayasam/">Renuka Rayasam</a>, who introduced us to Nicole and Noah after <a href="https://kffhealthnews.org/news/article/priced-out-health-insurance-costs-kentucky-tennessee-south-carolina/">writing about their stories</a>, joins us to reflect on what these stories mean.&nbsp;
Read more of Renuka Rayasam&rsquo;s reporting:
<a href="https://kffhealthnews.org/news/article/priced-out-health-insurance-costs-kentucky-tennessee-south-carolina/">When Health Insurance Costs More Than the Mortgage</a>
<a href="https://kffhealthnews.org/news/article/uninsured-health-care-low-cost-discounts-options-advice-5-things/">It&rsquo;s 2026 and You&rsquo;re Uninsured. Now What?&nbsp;</a>

‘Not workable’: How two Americans picked a plan this year — or didn’t

Hey, first! We’re looking for your help. Can you take a couple minutes and fill out our Audience Survey? 

We’re dying to know more about the community that’s using this show — and about what’s working for you and what you’d like to see. Let us know!

Today we’re switching it up. We’re sharing an episode from the new podcast Drug Story. In each episode, science journalist and self-described “public health nerd” Thomas Goetz goes deep on the story of a single drug — what it treats, how it came to be, and what it reveals about the business of health and disease. 

On this episode: the EpiPen, a device you’ll find in classrooms, on airplanes, in glove compartments — basically everywhere — because the EpiPen can be a literal life-saver for people with severe allergies.

And of course, the EpiPen is also one of the most infamous examples of pharmaceutical profiteering gone bananas. 

That part of the story makes us especially geeked to share this episode. 

And there are more threads here — on the drug’s discovery, on the science of severe food allergies, and on what researchers have learned about preventing them — that Goetz does a great job of weaving together. 

If you like it, new episodes of Drug Story come out every week. 

We’ll be back with more Arm and a Leg in a few weeks. Meanwhile, don’t forget to help us by filling out our quick survey.

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.

Hey, first! We&rsquo;re looking for your help. Can you take a couple minutes and fill out our <a href="https://armandalegshow.com/2026-survey/">Audience Survey</a>?&nbsp;
We&rsquo;re dying to know more about the community that&rsquo;s using this show &mdash; and about what&rsquo;s working for you and what you&rsquo;d like to see. <a href="https://armandalegshow.com/2026-survey/">Let us know!</a>
<hr>
Today we&rsquo;re switching it up. We&rsquo;re sharing an episode from the new podcast&nbsp;<a href="https://www.drugstory.co/">Drug Story</a>. In each episode, science journalist and self-described &ldquo;public health nerd&rdquo; Thomas Goetz goes deep on the story of a single drug &mdash; what it treats, how it came to be, and what it reveals about the business of health and disease.&nbsp;
On this episode: the EpiPen, a device you&rsquo;ll find in classrooms, on airplanes, in glove compartments &mdash; basically everywhere &mdash; because the EpiPen can be a literal life-saver for people with severe allergies.
And of course, the EpiPen is also one of the most infamous examples of pharmaceutical profiteering gone bananas.&nbsp;
That part of the story makes us especially geeked to share this episode.&nbsp;
And there are more threads here &mdash; on the drug&rsquo;s discovery, on the science of severe food allergies, and on what researchers have learned about preventing them &mdash; that Goetz does a great job of weaving together.&nbsp;
If you like it, new episodes of <a href="https://www.drugstory.co/">Drug Story</a> come out every week.&nbsp;
We&rsquo;ll be back with more&nbsp;Arm and a Leg in a few weeks. Meanwhile, don&rsquo;t forget to help us by <a href="https://armandalegshow.com/survey-2026/">filling out our quick survey</a>.
<a href="https://armandalegshow.com/episode/epipen-drug-story/#transcript">Here&rsquo;s a transcript of this episode</a>.
<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>.

The EpiPen and Food Allergies (from Drug Story)

Thirty-six hours before his wife was scheduled for a major surgery, New York Times personal finance columnist Ron Lieber got a letter in the mail that sent him reeling. 

Insurance was denying prior authorization for the surgery. The only way forward would be to appeal the decision. But it was Saturday night, and the surgery was Monday morning. There wouldn’t be any time. Should they even go to the hospital?

They decided to bet on being able to reverse the denial later on, but the last minute coverage  questions left Ron’s wife, New York Times reporter Jodi Kantor, going into surgery that Monday with a brand new sense of stress and anxiety. 

And along with worrying how his wife's surgery would go (spoiler: it was successful), and whether they’d end up on the hook for a bajillion dollars, it left Ron to wonder why no one had given them a heads-up earlier.

He set out to find answers — and whether there might be a way to prevent these last-minute denials from sneaking up on other people. 

Ron turned to his "Your Money" newsletter subscribers for ideas, and eventually published a draft letter in his New York Times column that doctors and other health care providers could give their patients to better prepare them for insurance curveballs. 

Check out the column here – and consider passing it along to any health care workers whose patients you think might benefit. 

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. 

Thirty-six hours before his wife was scheduled for a major surgery, New York Times personal finance columnist <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/by/ron-lieber">Ron Lieber</a> got a letter in the mail that sent him reeling.&nbsp;
Insurance was denying prior authorization for the surgery. The only way forward would be to appeal the decision. But it was Saturday night, and the surgery was Monday morning. There wouldn&rsquo;t be any time. Should they even go to the hospital?
They decided to bet on being able to reverse the denial later on, but the last minute coverage&nbsp; questions left Ron&rsquo;s wife, New York Times reporter Jodi Kantor, going into surgery that Monday with a brand new sense of stress and anxiety.&nbsp;
And along with worrying how his wife's surgery would go (spoiler: it was successful), and whether they&rsquo;d end up on the hook for a bajillion dollars, it left Ron to wonder why no one had given them a heads-up earlier.
He set out to find answers &mdash; and whether there might be a way to prevent these last-minute denials from sneaking up on other people.&nbsp;
Ron turned to his <a href="https://static.nytimes.com/email-content/MY_sample.html">"Your Money" newsletter</a> subscribers for ideas, and eventually published a draft letter in his New York Times column that doctors and other health care providers could give their patients to better prepare them for insurance curveballs.&nbsp;
<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/22/your-money/prior-authorization-health-insurance.html?unlocked_article_code=1.JlA.MrrJ.zCdji0rCJedL&amp;smid=url-share">Check out the column here</a> &ndash; and consider passing it along to any health care workers whose patients you think might benefit.&nbsp;
<a href="https://armandalegshow.com/episode/ron-lieber/#transcript">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>.&nbsp;

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

An Arm and a Leg

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