No Surprises Act brings new federal protections against unexpected medical bills (WBEZ, Reset)

Hey there — On the podcast this week, we’re bringing back the story of ‘The People’s Hospital’ — that’s the nickname Dr. Ricardo Nuila gives to the institution where he has practiced for more than a dozen years. It’s a favorite story of mine, and it’s never been more relevant. Nuila’s 2023 book, The People’s Hospital: Hope and Peril in American Medicine, is

Hey there — Summer intern Lynn here. I can hardly believe that today’s my last day with An Arm and a Leg and soon I’ll be back in school. But I’m so excited to bring you a new Arm and a Leg Starter Pack before I go, about why prescription drugs cost so freaking much — especially because for me, this one’s personal. That’s because there’s

Hey there — We’re back with a brand new episode this week: Dan checks back in with Julie Rovner — chief Washington correspondent for KFF Health News and host of the podcast What The Health? — about the ever-wobblier “Jenga tower of U.S. health care”. If that sounds anxiety-inducing, well yeah: Julie tells us she’s genuinely worried about health care being stripped from people who need it, about

Hey there — We’re back with another reader question — this time about why it might look like you got double billed for a routine physical. Plus, two follow-ups on stories we’ve covered before: An update on Oregon’s fight against corporate-owned medical clinics. New reporting on drug copay assistance programs and the sneaky way insurers claw that money back. Q: My

In your Arm and a Leg feed this morning: an episode of Paper Trail, a new podcast from the investigative journalism powerhouse, ProPublica. This episode taught us about an insurance industry term that we just had to share: external review. Knowing it could one day be the key to reversing an unfair insurance denial. An external review allows you to tap an expert from outside your insurance