Category: An Arm and a Leg

An Arm and a Leg: John Green vs. Johnson & Johnson (Part 1)

Pharmaceutical patents can drive up the costs of lifesaving medications. Hear what author and YouTube star John Green is doing to make tuberculosis drugs more accessible to the people who need them most.

An Arm and a Leg: How a Surprise Bill Can Hitch a Ride to the Hospital

The No Surprises Act has helped rein in out-of-network medical bills, but ground ambulances are a costly exception. Hear why this service can still hit patients with big bills and what to do if you get one.

Wait, What’s a PBM?

Pharmacy benefit managers, or PBMs, are companies that negotiate the prices of prescription drugs. Hear about their role in raising drug prices and the ongoing efforts to regulate this complex industry.

An Arm and a Leg: Credit Card, Please

What do you do when a medical provider asks you to provide a credit card upfront? In this episode, we hear advice about your options in this situation.

An Arm and a Leg: Credit Card, Please

What do you do when a medical provider asks you to provide a credit card upfront? In this episode, we hear advice about your options in this situation.

A ‘Payday Loan’ From a Health Care Behemoth

UnitedHealth Group is the largest health insurer in the United States. And it keeps growing. This has led some health care experts to call for antitrust regulation of this “behemoth” company.

A ‘Payday Loan’ From a Health Care Behemoth

UnitedHealth Group is the largest health insurer in the United States. And it keeps growing. This has led some health care experts to call for antitrust regulation of this “behemoth” company.

Mental Health ‘Ghost Networks’ — And a Ghostbuster

What should you do when your search for an in-network mental health care provider comes up empty? Abigail Burman has some expertise to share.

A $229,000 Medical Bill Goes to Court

In 2014, Lisa French had spinal surgery. Before the operation, she was told she would have to pay $1,337 in out-of-pocket costs and that her insurance would cover the rest. However, the hospital ended up sending French a bill for $229,000. When she didn’t pay, it sued her. The case went all the way to […]

A Doctor’s Love Letter to ‘The People’s Hospital’

Could a charity hospital founded by a crusading Dutch playwright, a group of Quakers, and a judge working undercover become a model for the U.S. health care system? In this episode of the podcast “An Arm and a Leg,” host Dan Weissmann speaks with Dr. Ricardo Nuila to find out. Nuila’s new book, The People’s […]