Dan Weissmann
@danweissmann.bsky.social
Reporter. I make @armandalegshow — a podcast and newsletter about why health care costs so freaking much, and what we can maybe do about it.
Distributed by KUOW - Seattle's NPR station.
www.armandalegshow.com
Distributed by KUOW - Seattle's NPR station.
www.armandalegshow.com
Pinned
Dan Weissmann
@danweissmann.bsky.social
· Dec 29
Our favorite 2025 project levels up • An Arm And a Leg
Hey there — Today’s podcast episode represents the culmination of a big year's work by the whole Arm and a Leg team — and of a lot of years' work by
armandalegshow.com
It’s been a remarkable year for the @armandalegshow.bsky.social team, and my favorite 2025 project is also the one I’m most stoked for in 2026.
It’s a collaboration with our readers and listeners. It will help a LOT of folks.
And you can get involved.
armandalegshow.com/first-aid-ki...
It’s a collaboration with our readers and listeners. It will help a LOT of folks.
And you can get involved.
armandalegshow.com/first-aid-ki...
Reposted by Dan Weissmann
Insurance is supposed to cover preventive care at no cost to you. So why will you sometimes end up with a bill anyway? In our First Aid Kit newsletter, we dig into this medical-bill minefield.
Preventive care: what does (and very likely doesn't) count • An Arm And a Leg
Hey there, A couple weeks ago, we made the case for getting your annual checkups early this year. Most of us think of these checkups as “preventive care”
armandalegshow.com
January 26, 2026 at 6:14 PM
Insurance is supposed to cover preventive care at no cost to you. So why will you sometimes end up with a bill anyway? In our First Aid Kit newsletter, we dig into this medical-bill minefield.
When Cigna denied Keaton Herzer’s potentially life-saving cancer surgery, he told Instagram— then posted a series of reels showing him on the phone trying to get somebody’s attention at Cigna.
So many calls, many from his hospital bed. (Eventually it worked)
1/
www.instagram.com/reel/DTguPny...
So many calls, many from his hospital bed. (Eventually it worked)
1/
www.instagram.com/reel/DTguPny...
keatonherzer on Instagram: "This is what I spent my time doing today. I called other people too but @cignahealthcare can you plz approve my liver transplant so…"
This is what I spent my time doing today. I called other people too but @cignahealthcare can you plz approve my liver transplant so I can stop bothering poor Rachel. You can stop this any time you want. #cancer #cholangiocarcinoma #transplant #insurance #denialView all 1,647 comments
www.instagram.com
January 26, 2026 at 11:25 PM
When Cigna denied Keaton Herzer’s potentially life-saving cancer surgery, he told Instagram— then posted a series of reels showing him on the phone trying to get somebody’s attention at Cigna.
So many calls, many from his hospital bed. (Eventually it worked)
1/
www.instagram.com/reel/DTguPny...
So many calls, many from his hospital bed. (Eventually it worked)
1/
www.instagram.com/reel/DTguPny...
Too often, insurance companies offer only “ghost networks” for mental health: lists of therapists who don’t actually accept your plan.
Too rarely do they face real accountability, as @propublica.org‘s reporting makes clear.
Too rarely do they face real accountability, as @propublica.org‘s reporting makes clear.
A new lawsuit alleges that an insurer’s ghost network hindered New York City employees from accessing the mental health care they sought — and harmed the reputation of psychiatrists wrongly listed as being in-network. My latest for @propublica.org: www.propublica.org/article/embl...
They Couldn’t Access Mental Health Care When They Needed It. Now They’re Suing Their Insurer.
A new lawsuit alleges that an insurer’s ghost network hindered New York City employees from accessing the mental health care they sought — and harmed the reputation of psychiatrists wrongly listed as ...
www.propublica.org
January 23, 2026 at 11:25 PM
Too often, insurance companies offer only “ghost networks” for mental health: lists of therapists who don’t actually accept your plan.
Too rarely do they face real accountability, as @propublica.org‘s reporting makes clear.
Too rarely do they face real accountability, as @propublica.org‘s reporting makes clear.
Reposted by Dan Weissmann
Stopped by the House hearing with health insurance CEOs, where both GOP and Dems have pressed the companies on their practices and profits.
Here's Rep. John Joyce (R-Pennsylvania) pushing UnitedHealthcare's CEO on its vertical integration — the acquisition of doctors, through its Optum arm.
Here's Rep. John Joyce (R-Pennsylvania) pushing UnitedHealthcare's CEO on its vertical integration — the acquisition of doctors, through its Optum arm.
January 22, 2026 at 6:00 PM
Stopped by the House hearing with health insurance CEOs, where both GOP and Dems have pressed the companies on their practices and profits.
Here's Rep. John Joyce (R-Pennsylvania) pushing UnitedHealthcare's CEO on its vertical integration — the acquisition of doctors, through its Optum arm.
Here's Rep. John Joyce (R-Pennsylvania) pushing UnitedHealthcare's CEO on its vertical integration — the acquisition of doctors, through its Optum arm.
"We had a baby and we bought a house in 2024. We’ve always been responsible with money, and these were life decisions we made based on a sense of our income and bills. Spending nearly $1,000 more a month, that’s not something we factored in."
Gift link: www.nytimes.com/2026/01/22/o...
Gift link: www.nytimes.com/2026/01/22/o...
Opinion | Five Americans on Going Broke Paying for Their Health Care
www.nytimes.com
January 22, 2026 at 4:41 PM
"We had a baby and we bought a house in 2024. We’ve always been responsible with money, and these were life decisions we made based on a sense of our income and bills. Spending nearly $1,000 more a month, that’s not something we factored in."
Gift link: www.nytimes.com/2026/01/22/o...
Gift link: www.nytimes.com/2026/01/22/o...
Bookmarking these shocking-not-surprising numbers.
Holy crap.
Holy crap.
KFF polling offers a clear look at the financial pressures Americans face in the health system, from delaying care to medical debt.
Our analysis brings the most useful findings into one place: https://on.kff.org/45btsuG
Our analysis brings the most useful findings into one place: https://on.kff.org/45btsuG
January 21, 2026 at 8:33 PM
Bookmarking these shocking-not-surprising numbers.
Holy crap.
Holy crap.
Reposted by Dan Weissmann
Good reminder that the medical debt numbers you see don't include credit card debt taken on to pay a medical bill. The problem is worse than even the grim numbers presented suggest.
January 5, 2026 at 10:45 PM
Good reminder that the medical debt numbers you see don't include credit card debt taken on to pay a medical bill. The problem is worse than even the grim numbers presented suggest.
It’s been a remarkable year for the @armandalegshow.bsky.social team, and my favorite 2025 project is also the one I’m most stoked for in 2026.
It’s a collaboration with our readers and listeners. It will help a LOT of folks.
And you can get involved.
armandalegshow.com/first-aid-ki...
It’s a collaboration with our readers and listeners. It will help a LOT of folks.
And you can get involved.
armandalegshow.com/first-aid-ki...
Our favorite 2025 project levels up • An Arm And a Leg
Hey there — Today’s podcast episode represents the culmination of a big year's work by the whole Arm and a Leg team — and of a lot of years' work by
armandalegshow.com
December 29, 2025 at 10:40 PM
It’s been a remarkable year for the @armandalegshow.bsky.social team, and my favorite 2025 project is also the one I’m most stoked for in 2026.
It’s a collaboration with our readers and listeners. It will help a LOT of folks.
And you can get involved.
armandalegshow.com/first-aid-ki...
It’s a collaboration with our readers and listeners. It will help a LOT of folks.
And you can get involved.
armandalegshow.com/first-aid-ki...
Read it (gift link) and weep
wapo.st/4amcTzk
wapo.st/4amcTzk
A middle-class family’s only option: A $43,000 health insurance premium
Consumers are left with few options and crushing prices as insurers offering Affordable Care Act plans pull out of some regions.
wapo.st
December 21, 2025 at 11:03 PM
Read it (gift link) and weep
wapo.st/4amcTzk
wapo.st/4amcTzk
This scary calculator is SUPER relevant to anybody looking at Obamacare for 2026
... and plays a big role in @armandalegshow.bsky.social's brand-new episode.
It's personal — and full of info that you, or someone you care about, probably need too.
armandalegshow.com/episode/insu...
... and plays a big role in @armandalegshow.bsky.social's brand-new episode.
It's personal — and full of info that you, or someone you care about, probably need too.
armandalegshow.com/episode/insu...
September 19, 2025 at 6:21 PM
This scary calculator is SUPER relevant to anybody looking at Obamacare for 2026
... and plays a big role in @armandalegshow.bsky.social's brand-new episode.
It's personal — and full of info that you, or someone you care about, probably need too.
armandalegshow.com/episode/insu...
... and plays a big role in @armandalegshow.bsky.social's brand-new episode.
It's personal — and full of info that you, or someone you care about, probably need too.
armandalegshow.com/episode/insu...
Reposted by Dan Weissmann
As Congress fights over government funding and Dems demand an extension of ACA Market place subsidies, new CBO estimates say permanently extending them would mean 3.8 million more people get insurance, while premiums would be 7.6% LOWER on average through 2035.
www.cbo.gov/system/files...
www.cbo.gov/system/files...
www.cbo.gov
September 18, 2025 at 2:32 PM
As Congress fights over government funding and Dems demand an extension of ACA Market place subsidies, new CBO estimates say permanently extending them would mean 3.8 million more people get insurance, while premiums would be 7.6% LOWER on average through 2035.
www.cbo.gov/system/files...
www.cbo.gov/system/files...
Reposted by Dan Weissmann
Tens of millions of people face sticker shock enrolling in Affordable Care Act insurance for 2026. To save money, the Trump administration wants them to consider less generous coverage.
kffhealthnews.org/news/article...
kffhealthnews.org/news/article...
Team Trump’s Answer to Ballooning Obamacare Premiums: Less Generous Coverage - KFF Health News
Tens of millions of people face sticker shock enrolling in Affordable Care Act insurance for 2026. To save money, the Trump administration wants them to consider less generous coverage.
kffhealthnews.org
September 17, 2025 at 1:24 PM
Tens of millions of people face sticker shock enrolling in Affordable Care Act insurance for 2026. To save money, the Trump administration wants them to consider less generous coverage.
kffhealthnews.org/news/article...
kffhealthnews.org/news/article...
I think this means the FCC just wiped out whatever protection we might've had from spam calls/texts. 😕
(Can someone who's a lawyer PLEASE tell me I've got this wrong? I'd really like to be wrong.)
www.insidearm.com/news/0009418...
(Can someone who's a lawyer PLEASE tell me I've got this wrong? I'd really like to be wrong.)
www.insidearm.com/news/0009418...
FCC’s Final Rule on Consent Kills One-to-One Consent Requirement - insideARM
The Federal Communication Commission (FCC) has finalized its rule under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), addressing prior express consent requirements for sellers to send advertisements a...
www.insidearm.com
September 17, 2025 at 7:04 PM
I think this means the FCC just wiped out whatever protection we might've had from spam calls/texts. 😕
(Can someone who's a lawyer PLEASE tell me I've got this wrong? I'd really like to be wrong.)
www.insidearm.com/news/0009418...
(Can someone who's a lawyer PLEASE tell me I've got this wrong? I'd really like to be wrong.)
www.insidearm.com/news/0009418...
"Is dental insurance a scam?" asks NYT.
“It’s hard not to say yes,” a dentist responds. “I don’t think it’s looking out for the patient’s best interest.”
Gift link
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/15/w...
“It’s hard not to say yes,” a dentist responds. “I don’t think it’s looking out for the patient’s best interest.”
Gift link
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/15/w...
I Have Dental Insurance. Why Do I Pay So Much for Care?
www.nytimes.com
September 16, 2025 at 9:23 PM
"Is dental insurance a scam?" asks NYT.
“It’s hard not to say yes,” a dentist responds. “I don’t think it’s looking out for the patient’s best interest.”
Gift link
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/15/w...
“It’s hard not to say yes,” a dentist responds. “I don’t think it’s looking out for the patient’s best interest.”
Gift link
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/15/w...
Reposted by Dan Weissmann
In our first-ever “First Aid Kit” advice column, @danweissmann.bsky.social responds to a listener whose hospital was late in filing an insurance claim. Read it here: armandalegshow.com/first-aid-ki...
Help! Do I have to pay for the hospital’s $47,000 mistake? • An Arm And a Leg
Hey there — I get a lot of questions from An Arm and a Leg listeners. Sometimes I write back with advice. So: Why not share? Welcome to an experiment: Our
armandalegshow.com
September 15, 2025 at 5:44 PM
In our first-ever “First Aid Kit” advice column, @danweissmann.bsky.social responds to a listener whose hospital was late in filing an insurance claim. Read it here: armandalegshow.com/first-aid-ki...
Some real holy-crap numbers here.
We spend 80% more than the avg for Western Europe/Japan/Australia
… and see our doctors HALF as often.
We spend 80% more than the avg for Western Europe/Japan/Australia
… and see our doctors HALF as often.
We in the U.S. use less care than in other countries, but pay more.
www.healthsystemtracker.org/chart-collec...
www.healthsystemtracker.org/chart-collec...
How healthcare prices and utilization in the United States compare to peer nations? - Peterson-KFF Health System Tracker
This chart collection compares indicators of health care utilization and prices in the United States and 11 similarly wealthy countries to investigate whether higher prices or higher utilization of he...
www.healthsystemtracker.org
September 7, 2025 at 6:07 PM
Some real holy-crap numbers here.
We spend 80% more than the avg for Western Europe/Japan/Australia
… and see our doctors HALF as often.
We spend 80% more than the avg for Western Europe/Japan/Australia
… and see our doctors HALF as often.
Reposted by Dan Weissmann
this is a very helpful guide to a completely insane situation
We took the paywall down on this one. defector.com/how-the-fuck...
How Are You Supposed To Get The COVID Vaccine Now? An Explainer | Defector
As the muggy malaise of summer winds down, you might find yourself interested in taking advantage of one of several safe and proven vaccines to help protect you from the inevitable brumal surge of res...
defector.com
September 4, 2025 at 5:37 PM
this is a very helpful guide to a completely insane situation
Excellent primer. Go ahead and bookmark it. You, or somebody you know, is gonna need it.
kffhealthnews.org/news/article...
kffhealthnews.org/news/article...
Fighting a Health Insurance Denial? Here Are 7 Tips To Help - KFF Health News
Many people don’t know they can fight a health insurance denial, let alone how to do it. Here are practical tips for consumers who want to appeal a prior authorization decision.
kffhealthnews.org
September 4, 2025 at 2:55 PM
Excellent primer. Go ahead and bookmark it. You, or somebody you know, is gonna need it.
kffhealthnews.org/news/article...
kffhealthnews.org/news/article...
“In July, Donald Trump submitted a request to rescind $9bn in funding that Congress had already set aside for foreign aid and broadcasting programs.
“The request included a $400m cut to Pepfar [AIDS relief] – but while lawmakers agreed to other cuts, they protected Pepfar”
Now those $ are withheld
“The request included a $400m cut to Pepfar [AIDS relief] – but while lawmakers agreed to other cuts, they protected Pepfar”
Now those $ are withheld
“The global health programs that have been shuttered, Congress has funded them … but OMB is not permitting it to be spent. They are impounding those funds,” said Atul Gawande. “That is not legal.” www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
Protesters demand release of HIV funds ‘illegally’ withheld by Trump
People take to streets against Trump administration plans to rescind funding for life-saving international programs
www.theguardian.com
September 3, 2025 at 11:17 PM
“In July, Donald Trump submitted a request to rescind $9bn in funding that Congress had already set aside for foreign aid and broadcasting programs.
“The request included a $400m cut to Pepfar [AIDS relief] – but while lawmakers agreed to other cuts, they protected Pepfar”
Now those $ are withheld
“The request included a $400m cut to Pepfar [AIDS relief] – but while lawmakers agreed to other cuts, they protected Pepfar”
Now those $ are withheld
Reposted by Dan Weissmann
NEW: Feel like you're reading more about hospitals fighting with insurers and even stranding patients out of network?
It's not your imagination. Almost 1 in 5 hospitals had a brawl with an insurer in the past 4 years.
Trump admin cuts mean we're likely to see even more...
It's not your imagination. Almost 1 in 5 hospitals had a brawl with an insurer in the past 4 years.
Trump admin cuts mean we're likely to see even more...
Americans increasingly find themselves caught in disputes between hospitals and insurance companies.
@realbrambo.bsky.social writes that the fights could become more common as hospitals brace for cuts from Trump policies. kffhealthnews.org/news/article...
@realbrambo.bsky.social writes that the fights could become more common as hospitals brace for cuts from Trump policies. kffhealthnews.org/news/article...
When Hospitals and Insurers Fight, Patients Get Caught in the Middle - KFF Health News
About 90,000 people spent months in limbo as central Missouri’s major, and often only, provider fought over insurance contracts. Patients getting caught in the crossfire of disputes has become a famil...
kffhealthnews.org
September 2, 2025 at 9:03 PM
NEW: Feel like you're reading more about hospitals fighting with insurers and even stranding patients out of network?
It's not your imagination. Almost 1 in 5 hospitals had a brawl with an insurer in the past 4 years.
Trump admin cuts mean we're likely to see even more...
It's not your imagination. Almost 1 in 5 hospitals had a brawl with an insurer in the past 4 years.
Trump admin cuts mean we're likely to see even more...
“Employers appear much more reluctant to eat higher benefit costs.
Mercer found 51% said they would be shifting costs to employees this year, up from 44% last year.”
www.axios.com/2025/08/20/w...
Mercer found 51% said they would be shifting costs to employees this year, up from 44% last year.”
www.axios.com/2025/08/20/w...
Why health costs are going to hit workers hard next year
The added costs will hit workers already reeling from inflationary pressures.
www.axios.com
August 22, 2025 at 8:41 PM
“Employers appear much more reluctant to eat higher benefit costs.
Mercer found 51% said they would be shifting costs to employees this year, up from 44% last year.”
www.axios.com/2025/08/20/w...
Mercer found 51% said they would be shifting costs to employees this year, up from 44% last year.”
www.axios.com/2025/08/20/w...
SUPER-exciting news: @armandalegshow.bsky.social is a finalist — actually the *only* finalist so I think we're gonna win — for Excellence in Audio Digital Storytelling, Ongoing Series.
Previous winners: @laist.com, @aljazeera.com, and @wsj.com!!
Our tiny team punching WAY above our weight here!
Previous winners: @laist.com, @aljazeera.com, and @wsj.com!!
Our tiny team punching WAY above our weight here!
✨ 1,200+ entries. 92 countries. It's our annual reminder of what journalism can achieve.
We’re proud to announce the finalists for the 2025 Online Journalism Awards, honoring excellence in climate reporting, partnerships, audio and 21 other categories.
🔗 awards.journalists.org/2025/08/22/c...
We’re proud to announce the finalists for the 2025 Online Journalism Awards, honoring excellence in climate reporting, partnerships, audio and 21 other categories.
🔗 awards.journalists.org/2025/08/22/c...
August 22, 2025 at 5:50 PM
SUPER-exciting news: @armandalegshow.bsky.social is a finalist — actually the *only* finalist so I think we're gonna win — for Excellence in Audio Digital Storytelling, Ongoing Series.
Previous winners: @laist.com, @aljazeera.com, and @wsj.com!!
Our tiny team punching WAY above our weight here!
Previous winners: @laist.com, @aljazeera.com, and @wsj.com!!
Our tiny team punching WAY above our weight here!
Reposted by Dan Weissmann
Insurance companies bank on people giving up. HR might be able to help escalate your case. Health Care Helpline from @npr.org and KFF Health News has some tips.
kffhealthnews.org/news/article...
kffhealthnews.org/news/article...
Try This When Your Doctor Says ‘Yes’ to a Preventive Test but Insurance Says ‘No’ - KFF Health News
A joint project of NPR and KFF Health News, Health Care Helpline helps you navigate the health system hurdles between you and good care. Send us your tricky questions, and we may tap a policy sleuth t...
kffhealthnews.org
August 21, 2025 at 1:40 PM
Insurance companies bank on people giving up. HR might be able to help escalate your case. Health Care Helpline from @npr.org and KFF Health News has some tips.
kffhealthnews.org/news/article...
kffhealthnews.org/news/article...
“It’s a radical agenda,” said Angela Rasmussen, a virologist at the University of Saskatchewan in Canada. “He’s using a bunch of different mechanisms and there really are no guardrails.”
“I think he’s going to be much less radical than you would think,” said President-elect Donald Trump of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Eight months later, the HHS secretary has taken steps to undermine the U.S. vaccine system. kffhealthnews.org/news/article...
Kennedy’s Anti-Vaccine Strategy Risks Forcing Shots Off Market, Manufacturers Warn - KFF Health News
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is targeting the government’s Vaccine Injury Compensation Program, without which manufacturers might cease producing shots.
kffhealthnews.org
August 20, 2025 at 3:33 PM
“It’s a radical agenda,” said Angela Rasmussen, a virologist at the University of Saskatchewan in Canada. “He’s using a bunch of different mechanisms and there really are no guardrails.”
Reposted by Dan Weissmann
We think of AI as something that decreases costs and increases revenue. But _for whom_ does it make more $?
AI scribe companies promise that doctors will now get paid for everything they did in a visit. But where is that money coming from?
All of us.
More from me @statnews.com:
🖥️🩺
AI scribe companies promise that doctors will now get paid for everything they did in a visit. But where is that money coming from?
All of us.
More from me @statnews.com:
🖥️🩺
AI scribe companies promise to help doctors bill more. Who will pay the extra cost?
Like any conscientious health policy Ph.D. student, Paige Nong went to the doctor for her free annual well visit. But as she checked in, the person at the
www.statnews.com
August 20, 2025 at 2:46 PM
We think of AI as something that decreases costs and increases revenue. But _for whom_ does it make more $?
AI scribe companies promise that doctors will now get paid for everything they did in a visit. But where is that money coming from?
All of us.
More from me @statnews.com:
🖥️🩺
AI scribe companies promise that doctors will now get paid for everything they did in a visit. But where is that money coming from?
All of us.
More from me @statnews.com:
🖥️🩺