For the first time, our senior producer, Emily, has to sign up for Obamacare. And it turns out, it’s one heck of a year to do that. 

A recent headline from KFF Health News reads: “Insurers and customers brace for double whammy to Obamacare premiums.”

We break down what those “whammies” might mean in dollars and cents for Emily and the millions of others signing up for Obamacare in 2026.  

Plus, we cover what’s happening with ACA navigators – the people charged with helping you sign up for Obamacare, and what to expect in November when open enrollment kicks off.  

Learn more about what’s coming in 2026 in our First Aid Kit newsletter. 

Check out KFF’s Obamacare premium calculator. 

Learn whether your state funds its own navigator program. 

Read 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.

For the first time, our senior producer, Emily, has to sign up for Obamacare. And it turns out, it&rsquo;s one heck of a year to do that.&nbsp;
A recent headline from KFF Health News reads: &ldquo;<a href="https://kffhealthnews.org/news/article/obamacare-premiums-subsidies-trump-republicans-policy-fallout-kff-analysis/">Insurers and customers brace for double whammy to Obamacare premiums</a>.&rdquo;
We break down what those &ldquo;whammies&rdquo; might mean in dollars and cents for Emily and the millions of others signing up for Obamacare in 2026.&nbsp;&nbsp;
Plus, we cover what&rsquo;s happening with ACA navigators &ndash; the people charged with helping you sign up for Obamacare, and what to expect in November when open enrollment kicks off.&nbsp;&nbsp;
<a href="https://armandalegshow.com/first-aid-kit/how-to-mentally-and-financially-prep-for-the-2026-health-insurance-marketplace/">Learn more about what&rsquo;s coming in 2026 in our First Aid Kit newsletter.</a>&nbsp;
Check out <a href="https://www.kff.org/interactive/how-much-more-would-people-pay-in-premiums-if-the-acas-enhanced-subsidies-expired/">KFF&rsquo;s Obamacare premium calculator</a>.&nbsp;
Learn <a href="https://www.kff.org/quick-take/a-90-cut-to-the-aca-navigator-program/">whether your state funds its own navigator program</a>.&nbsp;
<a href="https://armandalegshow.com/episode/insurance-in-2026/#transcript">Read a transcript of this episode</a>.
Send <a href="https://armandalegshow.com/contact/">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.

An Arm and a Leg

Will we be able to afford insurance in 2026?

Hey, first!  If you value what we do, this is the best-ever time to support our work.

We have SO much work ahead in 2026. Donate here.

We’re back for another look at things that – believe it or not – did NOT suck in 2025. 

Specifically: new state laws from around the country aimed at protecting people from things like medical debt, insurance delays and denials, and corporate profiteering.  

In this episode, we dive into two examples from opposite sides of the country to look at how laws like these get made – and in some cases, defended. 

In Maine, lawmakers unanimously voted to remove medical debts from people’s credit reports. While a nationwide court ruling raises questions about the new law’s future, we’ll hear why consumer rights attorney Chi Chi Wu remains optimistic.  

And in Oregon, a law aims to prevent big corporations and private equity firms from taking over medical clinics and strip-mining them for profits.

Plus, a good-news update from our team at An Arm and a Leg. 

Here's a transcript of this episode. 

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

And, again… we’d love for you to support this show.

Hey, first!&nbsp; If you value what we do, this is the best-ever time to <a href="https://armandalegshow.com/support/">support our work</a>.
We have SO much work ahead in 2026. <a href="https://armandalegshow.com/support/">Donate here</a>.
<hr>
We&rsquo;re back for another look at things that &ndash; believe it or not &ndash; did NOT suck in 2025.&nbsp;
Specifically: new state laws from around the country aimed at protecting people from things like medical debt, insurance delays and denials, and corporate profiteering.&nbsp;&nbsp;
In this episode, we dive into two examples from opposite sides of the country to look at how laws like these get made &ndash; and in some cases, defended.&nbsp;
In Maine, lawmakers unanimously voted to remove medical debts from people&rsquo;s credit reports. While a nationwide court ruling raises questions about the new law&rsquo;s future, we&rsquo;ll hear why consumer rights attorney Chi Chi Wu remains optimistic.&nbsp;&nbsp;
And in Oregon, a law aims to prevent big corporations and private equity firms from taking over medical clinics and strip-mining them for profits.
Plus, a good-news update from our team at An Arm and a Leg.&nbsp;
<a href="https://armandalegshow.com/episode/what-didnt-suck-in-2025-2/#transcript">Here's a transcript of this episode</a>.&nbsp;
Send&nbsp;<a href="https://armandalegshow.com/contact-us/">your stories and questions</a>! Or call 724 ARM-N-LEG.
And, again&hellip; we&rsquo;d love for you to&nbsp;<a href="https://armandalegshow.com/support/">support this show</a>.

Some more things that didn’t suck in 2025

Hey, first!  If you value what we do, this is the best-ever time to support our work:  This month, every donation gets matched two-for-one.  

We have SO much work ahead in 2026. Donate here — and get your money matched two-for-one.

It’s probably fair to say: this is the worst year ever for picking health insurance. Premiums are skyrocketing – whether you get insurance through work or from the Obamacare marketplace. 

And with enhanced subsidies almost definitely expiring, millions of people with Obamacare plans are grappling with drastic changes to their household budgets. 

We’re our own case study: You’ll hear us sorting through our own options. None of them are pretty, but because we know how to read the fine print, we figured out: Some are way, way less awful than others. 

And to help you do the same: We’ve boiled down our fine-print-reading expertise in this starter pack on how to pick insurance. 

Also in this episode: we talk with a listener who wonders: is paying for health insurance even worth it at this point? (Her ultimate answer: Yes, but argh.)

Read Julie Appleby’s reporting for KFF Health News about what could happen if Congress changes course and extends the subsidies. 

Here’s a transcript of this episode. 

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

And, again… we’d love for you to support this show. 

Hey, first!&nbsp; If you value what we do, this is the best-ever time to <a href="https://armandalegshow.com/support/">support our work</a>:&nbsp; This month, every donation gets matched two-for-one.&nbsp;&nbsp;
We have SO much work ahead in 2026. <a href="https://armandalegshow.com/support/">Donate here</a> &mdash; and get your money matched two-for-one.
<hr>
It&rsquo;s probably fair to say: this is the worst year ever for picking health insurance. Premiums are skyrocketing &ndash; whether you get insurance through work or from the Obamacare marketplace.&nbsp;
And with enhanced subsidies almost definitely expiring, millions of people with Obamacare plans are grappling with drastic changes to their household budgets.&nbsp;
We&rsquo;re our own case study: You&rsquo;ll hear us sorting through our own options. None of them are pretty, but because we know how to read the fine print, we figured out: Some are way, way less awful than others.&nbsp;
And to help you do the same: We&rsquo;ve boiled down our fine-print-reading expertise in <a href="https://armandalegshow.com/starter-pack/how-do-i-shop-for-health-insurance/">this starter pack on how to pick insurance</a>.&nbsp;
Also in this episode: we talk with a listener who wonders: is paying for health insurance even worth it at this point? (Her ultimate answer: Yes, but argh.)
Read <a href="https://kffhealthnews.org/news/article/obamacare-states-prepare-for-last-minute-aca-deal/">Julie Appleby&rsquo;s reporting for KFF Health News</a> about what could happen if Congress changes course and extends the subsidies.&nbsp;
<a href="https://armandalegshow.com/episode/how-to-pick-health-insurance-2026/#transcript">Here&rsquo;s a transcript of this episode</a>.&nbsp;
Send <a href="https://armandalegshow.com/contact-us/">your stories and questions</a>! Or call 724 ARM-N-LEG.
And, again&hellip; we&rsquo;d love for you to <a href="https://armandalegshow.com/support/">support this show</a>.&nbsp;

How to pick health insurance — in the worst year ever

Hey, first!  If you value what we do, this is the best-ever time to support our work:  This month, every donation gets matched two-for-one.  

We have SO much work ahead in 2026. Head to https://armandalegshow.com/support/ to donate — and get your money matched two-for-one.

This statement might shock you: some actual good things happened in 2025. Or, at least things that did not totally suck. 

Stuff like: new limits on the hoops insurance companies can make you jump through, and new protections from predatory debt collectors..  

These are just a couple examples of what state governments have been up to this year – in red, blue, and purple states alike. 

State governments can’t do it all, but across a couple of episodes, we’ll dive into a handful of meaningful wins, and learn how they came to pass. 

Today’s episode takes us to Nebraska, where the state passed aggressive new restrictions on prior authorization. 

And Virginia, where lawmakers banned wage garnishment for lots of medical debts.

Here's a transcript of this episode.

Hey, first!&nbsp; If you value what we do, this is the best-ever time to <a href="https://armandalegshow.com/support/">support our work</a>:&nbsp; This month, every donation gets matched two-for-one.&nbsp;&nbsp;
We have SO much work ahead in 2026. Head to <a href="https://armandalegshow.com/support/">https://armandalegshow.com/support/</a> to donate &mdash; and get your money matched two-for-one.
<hr>
This statement might shock you: some actual good things happened in 2025. Or, at least things that did not totally suck.&nbsp;
Stuff like: new limits on the hoops insurance companies can make you jump through, and new protections from predatory debt collectors..&nbsp;&nbsp;
These are just a couple examples of what state governments have been up to this year &ndash; in red, blue, and purple states alike.&nbsp;
State governments can&rsquo;t do it all, but across a couple of episodes, we&rsquo;ll dive into a handful of meaningful wins, and learn how they came to pass.&nbsp;
Today&rsquo;s episode takes us to Nebraska, where the state passed aggressive new restrictions on prior authorization.&nbsp;
And Virginia, where lawmakers banned wage garnishment for lots of medical debts.
<a href="https://armandalegshow.com/episode/some-things-that-didnt-suck-in-2025-really/#transcript">Here's a transcript of this episode</a>.

Will we be able to afford insurance in 2026?

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