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

Hey there —

How many Americans dropped insurance when Obamacare costs skyrocketed for 2026? And how many “traded down” to lower-rated plans with crappier coverage? The final numbers actually aren’t in yet.

But our partners at KFF Health News have been talking with dozens of people about the choices they were forced to make, and in today’s podcast episode, two of those folks tell us their stories.

I loved meeting Noah Hulsman, a third-generation skateboard-shop owner in Louisville, Kentucky. (His grandma started the shop as a way to give her five kids — and their many friends — a place to hang that wasn’t her kitchen.)

And as I write this, I’m smiling to myself, thinking about the way attorney Nicole Wipp tells her story — including the day doctors pulled two liters of fluid from her left lung.

Getting to hear people like Noah and Nicole tell their own stories in their own distinctive voices is one of the reasons I love making audio journalism. Give a listen.

Of course, as our headline suggests, the big picture Nicole and Noah’s stories illuminate is anything but lovable.

Nicole and her husband chose to dump their health insurance rather than pay an increase of more than 40 percent.

Noah chose to pay for coverage that sucks — it won’t pay for medical care he could really use right now — just to have a backstop against financial catastrophe.

“You have to just laugh at how ridiculous the world is these days,” Noah says. “I mean, if you just take it serious — doom and gloom all the time — you’re not gonna make it.”

We also hear from KFF Health News senior correspondent Renuka Rayasam, who introduced us to Nicole and Noah after writing about their stories for her newsroom’s series about the health insurance crisis, Priced Out.

“I’ve been thinking about this, as a reporter,” she says. “We have these individual stories. What do they mean? First of all, why is this system like this and what does it mean for everyone?”

Renu spent half a dozen years living someplace where things work very differently: Germany. You’ll want to hear her reflections.

Hey, thank you! We’re learning from you.

A few weeks ago, we asked you to take a few minutes to fill out a quick survey, to help us do our jobs better.

We wanted to know more about the community we’re making An Arm and a Leg and First Aid Kit for — and about what you value.

We’re still poring over what you’ve been telling us — and by the way, if you haven’t chimed in yet, we’d still love to hear from you: Here’s the link to share your two cents. It’s quick.

But here are a couple things we’ve noticed from the 300-and-some responses so far:

• Almost 40 percent of you work in health care. We love hearing this. It suggests to us that our work is sophisticated enough that professionals find it worth their time AND it’s accessible enough to be useful to folks who aren’t pros.

• More than 60 percent of you said you’ve put our information to use — for yourself or someone else. Honestly, that’s amazing to hear.

When we asked what else you wanted to share, lots of you said SUCH NICE things, which makes us feel great.

And I loved the variety of some of your notes. For instance, these two:

• As a Canadian, I find it fascinating to learn just how truly broken the US healthcare system really is. Your explanations are incredibly informative and entertaining.

• I’ll be looking for the shows you did about Medicare, as I’m almost there. I remember that these shows were very helpful and done with humor, too. Turning 65 in Dec 2026.

(BTW, here are links to our First Aid Kits about Medicare pitfalls to avoid: part 1 and part 2!)

We also asked you for suggestions. You had lots of great ones — we’ll be digesting them for a while — but this is my personal favorite right now:

• Mention my name more often, then instruct your other interviewees to contact me directly to help me solve all my health-insurance-related issues personally.

Seriously, thank you SO much for helping us this way, and for making our day with your notes. If you haven’t yet, please do fill out the survey.

If you fill it out before the end of next week, you can still qualify for a virtual raffle: We’re experimenting with making stickers for your laptop or water bottle, and we’ll be sending them to ten folks who fill out the survey.

Thanks again — and catch you next week. Till then, take care of yourself.

— Dan