Half-million Cook County residents have their medical debt forgiven (WBEZ, Reset)

Hey there — Today on the podcast, we have something a little different: an episode from a new podcast we’re really into, called Drug Story, hosted by science journalist and self-described “public health nerd” Thomas Goetz. Each episode of Drug Story digs into the history of a single drug — and what it tells us about the business of health and disease. Right

Hey there— This time, we’re asking you for some info, and some advice. We love making An Arm and a Leg and First Aid Kit — and we want them to be as entertaining, empowering, and useful as possible. To do that, we want to know as much as we can about who we’re making this work for — that’s you — and about what’s helpful to you, and what

Hey there— This week we’re sharing something our pals at KFF Health News put together as part of a series they’re calling “Priced Out” — all about the impact of skyrocketing health insurance premiums. One big consequence of those increases: way more people going without health insurance. Here they lay out some options for people who find themselves in that situation. It’s a

Hey there— What’s scarier than major surgery? How about getting a letter from your insurance company less than two days before surgery, saying they’re not paying the bill? Oh, and the letter arrives on Saturday. You’ve been out all day, so you get it Saturday night. Surgery’s scheduled for first thing Monday. You can try making calls on a Sunday

The situation: You need a mole removed. Or a root canal. Or a hearing test. Or something lifesaving, like cancer treatment. A big scary bill is looming on the horizon, and you don’t think your insurance is going to protect you. But your provider has a solution: signing you up for a medical credit card, like CareCredit or HealthiPlan, or