“Refreshing”

November 26, 2019

What a refreshing look at health care in the USA! Instead of a politics focus, this show takes the listener on a journey with compelling stories from citizens who are dealing with our often-convoluted health care system on a daily basis. Dan Weissmann, the host, does a marvelous job of keeping this podcast about potentially terrifying and depressing topics upbeat, hopeful, and informative. Highly recommend!

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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.

Why drugs cost so much, 101: Medicine monopolies

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

February 26, 2026

The EpiPen and Food Allergies (from Drug Story)

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Starter Packs

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

How to wipe out your medical bill with charity care

Most hospitals are required by law to provide financial assistance (AKA “charity care”) to a portion of their patients. And more people qualify than know about it.

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.

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.

New episode! Why drugs cost so much, 101: Medicine monopolies

Hey there — We’re always asking: Why do drugs cost so freaking much? In surveys, more than 20 percent of people in the US report having to skip their meds because of the cost. How did that happen? There are a bunch of reasons, to be sure — and we’ve looked into a lot of them. And of course there’s the most obvious

Discount dental care, medical debt update, and other stories

Hey there— Staying on top of the news these days is a job all on its own. And it can definitely be overwhelming if you’re a newsletter junkie like me. (I may or may not have over…600 unread emails right now. ) But a new month feels like the perfect time to catch up on health care stories that might not

Prior Authorization: Lessons, Strategies and Stories

Hey there— Time to follow up on a podcast episode from earlier this year, where New York Times reporter Ron Lieber talked about his family’s horrifically-tense experience with prior authorization, the lessons he learned, and a tool he made for providers to help their patients. One thing we didn’t unpack here from that conversation: Some of Ron’s practical takeaways for those of us

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

Why did insurance really deny your claim?

When insurance denies your claim, they’ll give you an official reason — but what were they really thinking? Turns out, you have a right to know. To see their notes, maybe even their internal correspondence, or to listen to audio recordings from phone calls. It’s all in your “claim file,” which federal law says you have the right to demand. What’s in that file could

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