The spiraling cost of medical care shapes people’s lives: The jobs we’re afraid to leave because of insurance, the risk that a trip to the doc could end in bankruptcy. It’s not healthy.

This is my story too, and that’s why I launched this podcast. I’m Dan Weissmann. My work has appeared in outlets like Marketplace, Planet Money, 99 Percent Invisible, and NPR’s Morning Edition and All Things Considered.

An Arm and a Leg is designed to be entertaining, empowering, even useful. As a reporter,  I bring my skill at finding and telling revealing, surprising stories. But the project’s big focus, since I’m in this mess too,is connecting and problem-solving, together. (One  segment I’m excited about for Season Two: Car Talk … for Health Care.)

You are not alone. We may be screwed, but we’re together. And if we want to get even a little bit less-screwed, we need each other. If nothing else, we can be good company to each other.

•   We can have a good, dark laugh.
•   We can offer each other empathy.
•   We can sing hilarious punk-rock campfire-songs of rage at whoever turns out to be responsible.

So I’ll be looking to you, over time, to offer up your own stories, by sending in voice memo recordings (and email, and FB posts). Also, punk-rock campfire songs.

In the first two seasons we:

•  Pulled back the curtain and show how the dark machinery works. A simple leg brace shows how insurance companies allow, even encourage, crazy price gouging.
•  Checked out inventive hacks: Renaissance-fair workers have cooked up a creative, home-brew safety net. Folks are even hacking insulin!  
•  Told some wild stories. Like one woman’s epic quest for health insurance. To keep her family out of medical bankruptcy, she made crazy sacrifices, and tweaked history.
We’ve also had some lovely feedback in the press including being named one of the best podcasts of 2019 (so far).

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We can’t count on single-payer or some other big fix coming to save our butts anytime soon. (We don’t even have to agree on what that big fix ought to be. No matter what our politics, we’re all screwed.)

But we need each other’s help and company RIGHT NOW, just muddling through the mess we’re in.

You know what? I think it’s going to be fun.

Meanwhile:

Thanks! Talk with you soon.

Till thentake care of yourself.

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