“Fascinating & intelligent with a sense of humor”

November 26, 2019

Dan Weissman’s charm, affability and intelligence guide this fascinating podcast about the state of health care in the U.S. Weissman’s rich voice and compassionate tone adds a lot of dimension to the compelling narratives of how Americans navigate the confusing and often contradictory landscape of obtaining healthcare and health insurance. Funny, informative, and well worth your time. Subscribe! 5 stars.

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Latest Episodes

Keep listening for info on why health care costs so freaking much, and what we can (maybe) do about it.

August 28, 2025

‘The Insurance Warrior’ battles a $61 billion company (from 2021)

A wild health insurance hustle

The great American drug shortage isn’t an accident, it’s artificial (from Organized Money)

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Starter Packs

Our Starter Packs are full of useful information and actionable advice on all things healthcare.

How do I shop for health insurance?

Picking a health insurance plan can be overwhelming. Here’s our best advice.

Help! I’m stuck with a gigantic medical bill.

Don’t freak out. We’ve created a guide to help you manage.

The prescription drug playbook

The high cost of prescription meds in the US is a crisis: one in four adults say they’ve skipped taking a prescription in the past year because of cost.

Why are my meds so expensive?

Getting your meds shouldn’t feel like mission impossible. Here’s a hand-picked mix of our most practical tips, background stories, and real listener experiences—so you can save money, understand the system, and know you’re not alone.

Help! Insurance denied my claim.

Insurance denies lots of claims, and people give up. But the majority of people who appeal win. Here’s the best of what we’ve published so far to help you.

See All Our Starter Packs

If you don't know where to start or are just getting to know us, we recommend you start here.

First Aid Kit

A show about why health care costs so freaking much, and what we can (maybe) do about it.

September 11, 2025

Help! Do I have to pay for the hospital’s $47,000 mistake?

Hey there — I get a lot of questions from An Arm and a Leg listeners. Sometimes I write back with advice. So: Why not share? Welcome to an experiment: Our occasional advice column! Maybe let’s call it: Can they freaking DO that?!? Disclaimer: I don’t know everything, I’m not a lawyer, and I haven’t done new reporting for this. It’s the kind of

September 4, 2025

The “one-stop shop” resource list 2.0

Avid “First Aid Kit” readers might remember that in the spring, we wrote about a med student named Thomas who wanted a one-page resource guide — and we asked for your help in drafting one. You guys came through, and Thomas put your contributions to work. He’s got a new draft, and we’ve got a new opportunity for you to

August 28, 2025

Who you’re really fighting, when you fight insurance

Hey there – Over on the podcast, we’re bringing back a story from our archive that’s one of my all time favorites — and that drives home a lesson about how health insurance really works for most people. In 2021, we profiled someone who probably knows more than anybody about what it takes to fight insurance and win. Laurie Todd

August 21, 2025

Advanced tips for getting financial assistance for hospital bills

By far the most powerful piece of information Dan and our team at An Arm and a Leg have discovered in the past six years is that if you have a medical bill from a hospital, there’s a really good chance you can get it written off — either partially or entirely. That’s thanks to charity care — financial assistance that most hospitals are

August 15, 2025

How to mentally and financially prep for the 2026 health insurance marketplace

Health insurance sucks. We’ve always said it. And this year it’s going to be even worse. Whether you get it from work or the Obamacare marketplace, it’s getting more expensive. But those Obamacare plans are getting hit with what KFF Health News calls a “double whammy”: Double-digit rate hikes from insurers combined with lower subsidies mean everyone will pay more,

See the Episode Archive

One of the most enraging, terrifying, depressing parts of American life made entertaining, empowering, and useful.