First Aid Kit Archive • An Arm And a Leg

First Aid Kit

Our newsletter sums up and shares the practical lessons we’ve learned about surviving the health care system, financially.

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Prior Authorization: Lessons, Strategies and Stories

And a hilariously-gross video, if you dare.

The Big Picture

New episode: How two Americans picked insurance — or didn’t

Their take? “Not workable.” “You just have to laugh.”

Why did insurance really deny your claim?

With this tool, you could find out — and fight back.

Navigating Insurance

$31K deductibles on ACA plans?

The Trump administration is proposing them, and more.

The Big Picture

February 26, 2026

The EpiPen and Food Allergies (from Drug Story)

How a lifesaving — and notoriously expensive — drug came to be.

February 20, 2026

Hey, help us do our jobs better

Take our quick survey, okay?

Navigating Insurance

February 13, 2026

A new resource for folks going uninsured

Another one to bookmark or share.

Navigating Insurance

February 5, 2026

New episode — NYT’s Ron Lieber: “These people are not going to win”

Plus the drug-price news we’re watching.

Avoiding Ripoffs

January 29, 2026

Beware medical credit cards and loans

What to watch out for, and what to try instead.

Avoiding Ripoffs

January 22, 2026

Preventive care: what does (and very likely doesn’t) count

And what to do if you get a bill you don’t owe.

January 15, 2026

Sh**’s wild’: Scaling up, doubling down, and buckling in

Checking back in with charity-care nonprofit Dollar For.

Looking for something?

For topic-specific deep dives and recommended reading, check out our Starter Packs or use the search bar below to explore our site.

More of our reporting

Starter Packs

Jumping off points: Our best episodes and our best answers to some big questions.

Explore our Starter Packs →

How to wipe out your medical bill with charity care

Our guide to an under-the-radar but essential resource for wiping out medical debt.

How do I shop for health insurance?

Picking a health insurance plan can be super confusing. Here's our best advice.

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

Don't freak out. We've laid out tips to help you manage your medical bills.

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.

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.

Podcast Episodes

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

Explore the podcast →

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

Featuring: An attorney with a kid who plays polo and a third-generation skateboard-shop owner.

February 26, 2026

The EpiPen and Food Allergies (from Drug Story)

How a lifesaving – and notoriously pricey – drug came to be. From journalist Thomas Goetz.

February 5, 2026

NYT’s Ron Lieber: ‘These people are not going to win’

When NYT columnist Ron Lieber's wife got an unexpected insurance denial 36 hours before surgery, he started asking: why does this happen? And how can we better arm ourselves in advance?

January 15, 2026

‘Sh**’s wild’: Scaling up, doubling down, and buckling in

We check in with Dollar For founder Jared Walker about how the organization massively scaled up their operations — as they (and the rest of us) navigate increasingly rocky terrain.

December 29, 2025

Our favorite project of 2025 levels up — and you can help

Behind-the-scenes on a volunteer project to help people get care and avoid debt.

See the Episode Archive

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