Claire Davenport
@clairedavenport.bsky.social
Producer, @armandalegshow.bsky.social. Lover of healthcare reporting, puns, & Oxford commas.
Subscribe to "First Aid Kit" at https://firstaidkit.substack.com/
Subscribe to "First Aid Kit" at https://firstaidkit.substack.com/
Reposted by Claire Davenport
Signing up for Medicare means navigating a minefield of misleading ads, confusing deadlines, and an alphabet soup of parts and supplements. In our First Aid Kit newsletter, we get into those ABCs:
Medicare: Big pitfalls to avoid, part deux • An Arm And a Leg
Hey there — Ermahgerd, Medicare is confusing. Or as John Oliver said in a recent Last Week Tonight segment on Medicare Advantage, “On a scale of one to
armandalegshow.com
November 5, 2025 at 11:03 PM
Signing up for Medicare means navigating a minefield of misleading ads, confusing deadlines, and an alphabet soup of parts and supplements. In our First Aid Kit newsletter, we get into those ABCs:
Incredible
This week’s main story details what Medicare Advantage is, why it basically has all the pitfalls of private insurance, and what a Mountain Chicken is. And if you don’t already know what a Mountain Chicken is, go ahead and visualize a “Mountain Chicken” in your head now. Great. It’s not that.
October 28, 2025 at 8:19 PM
Incredible
Reposted by Claire Davenport
“Trump posted an AI-generated video on the platform that touted purported “medbeds,” a non-existent healing technology that people falsely believe will miraculously cure all maladies… after it was taken down, his Truth Social followers… took the post as a sign that medbeds are about to be unveiled.”
How Truth Social’s bogus medical claims fool Trump fans
It's not just "medbeds."
www.motherjones.com
October 3, 2025 at 7:31 PM
“Trump posted an AI-generated video on the platform that touted purported “medbeds,” a non-existent healing technology that people falsely believe will miraculously cure all maladies… after it was taken down, his Truth Social followers… took the post as a sign that medbeds are about to be unveiled.”
Reposted by Claire Davenport
This is the rhythm of life in Gaza City, writes Mohammed al-Sawwaf: displacement after displacement, death after death, with no time for mourning—only desperate attempts to save whoever is left.
www.thenation.com
October 3, 2025 at 6:32 PM
This is the rhythm of life in Gaza City, writes Mohammed al-Sawwaf: displacement after displacement, death after death, with no time for mourning—only desperate attempts to save whoever is left.
Reposted by Claire Davenport
“…the ADL said that internet users began to display it alongside ‘violent or racist rap songs’ in the 2000s and that, by 2015, it was firmly ‘associated with alt right language and imagery, including explicit white supremacist imagery.’”
DHS has white nationalists running their social media.
DHS has white nationalists running their social media.
Shout out to @eyesontheright.bsky.social for spotting this white supremacist meme on the DHS Twitter last night.
I followed up and DHS responded with more memes. talkingpointsmemo.com/news/dhs-inc...
I followed up and DHS responded with more memes. talkingpointsmemo.com/news/dhs-inc...
DHS Includes ‘White Supremacist’ Meme in Video Promoting Deportation Blitz
A video posted on X by the Department of Homeland Security included...
talkingpointsmemo.com
October 3, 2025 at 6:19 PM
“…the ADL said that internet users began to display it alongside ‘violent or racist rap songs’ in the 2000s and that, by 2015, it was firmly ‘associated with alt right language and imagery, including explicit white supremacist imagery.’”
DHS has white nationalists running their social media.
DHS has white nationalists running their social media.
Reposted by Claire Davenport
“We have been left with no choice but to stop our activities as our clinics are encircled by Israeli forces. This is the last thing we wanted, as the needs in Gaza City are enormous,” says Jacob Granger, MSF Emergency Coordinator in Gaza. prezly.msf.org.uk/msf-forced-t...
September 26, 2025 at 6:30 PM
“We have been left with no choice but to stop our activities as our clinics are encircled by Israeli forces. This is the last thing we wanted, as the needs in Gaza City are enormous,” says Jacob Granger, MSF Emergency Coordinator in Gaza. prezly.msf.org.uk/msf-forced-t...
Reposted by Claire Davenport
It's not just government funding at stake in this showdown.
It's also telehealth and hospital-at-home.
If Congress can't cut some sort of deal over the next week, thousands of people with telehealth appoints on Oct. 1 or remote hospital services will be out of luck.
It's also telehealth and hospital-at-home.
If Congress can't cut some sort of deal over the next week, thousands of people with telehealth appoints on Oct. 1 or remote hospital services will be out of luck.
Key health programs face cliff as government funding bill falls
Congress is taking a break after failing to extend health programs and prevent a government shutdown that would start in 12 days.
www.modernhealthcare.com
September 19, 2025 at 6:35 PM
It's not just government funding at stake in this showdown.
It's also telehealth and hospital-at-home.
If Congress can't cut some sort of deal over the next week, thousands of people with telehealth appoints on Oct. 1 or remote hospital services will be out of luck.
It's also telehealth and hospital-at-home.
If Congress can't cut some sort of deal over the next week, thousands of people with telehealth appoints on Oct. 1 or remote hospital services will be out of luck.
Reposted by Claire Davenport
The president signed executive orders that would charge companies $100,000 a year to hire a worker on an H1-B visa and allow wealthy foreigners to get a visa for $1 million.
Trump adds $100,000 fee for high-skilled foreign workers in major visa overhaul
The president signed executive orders that would charge companies $100,000 a year to hire a worker on an H1-B visa and allow wealthy foreigners to get a visa for $1 million.
n.pr
September 20, 2025 at 7:15 PM
The president signed executive orders that would charge companies $100,000 a year to hire a worker on an H1-B visa and allow wealthy foreigners to get a visa for $1 million.
Reposted by Claire Davenport
A listener named Thomas started building a “one-stop shop” of resources for fighting medical bills, with contributions from our readers. Now he’s turned it into a printable guide:
The “one-stop shop” resource list 2.0 • An Arm And a Leg
Avid “First Aid Kit” readers might remember that in the spring, we wrote about a med student named Thomas who wanted a one-page resource guide — and we
armandalegshow.com
September 10, 2025 at 3:17 PM
A listener named Thomas started building a “one-stop shop” of resources for fighting medical bills, with contributions from our readers. Now he’s turned it into a printable guide:
Reposted by Claire Davenport
We’re extremely honored to have won an Online Journalism Award for Excellence in Audio Digital Storytelling.
And for this note from the judges: “The energy was fantastic from beginning to end… hearing real people's stories made it resonate on a personal level.”
And for this note from the judges: “The energy was fantastic from beginning to end… hearing real people's stories made it resonate on a personal level.”
September 9, 2025 at 3:18 PM
We’re extremely honored to have won an Online Journalism Award for Excellence in Audio Digital Storytelling.
And for this note from the judges: “The energy was fantastic from beginning to end… hearing real people's stories made it resonate on a personal level.”
And for this note from the judges: “The energy was fantastic from beginning to end… hearing real people's stories made it resonate on a personal level.”
Super important issue of @jessicavalenti.bsky.social’s “Abortion Every Day” newsletter — about legislation in South Carolina that would impact not only access to abortion, but access to birth control.
And it’s the blueprint for a national model: jessica.substack.com/p/south-caro...
And it’s the blueprint for a national model: jessica.substack.com/p/south-caro...
South Carolina Republicans Move to Ban Birth Control
9.5.25
jessica.substack.com
September 6, 2025 at 5:52 PM
Super important issue of @jessicavalenti.bsky.social’s “Abortion Every Day” newsletter — about legislation in South Carolina that would impact not only access to abortion, but access to birth control.
And it’s the blueprint for a national model: jessica.substack.com/p/south-caro...
And it’s the blueprint for a national model: jessica.substack.com/p/south-caro...
Reposted by Claire Davenport
“There needs to be justice,” Thameen Al-Kheetan, the spokesperson for the UN’s human rights office, told reporters on Tuesday in Geneva.
Human rights office demands that Israeli investigation into ‘double tap’ attack that killed 20 people yields results.
www.theguardian.com/world/2025/a...
Human rights office demands that Israeli investigation into ‘double tap’ attack that killed 20 people yields results.
www.theguardian.com/world/2025/a...
‘There needs to be justice,’ UN tells Israel after Gaza hospital bombing
Human rights office demands that Israeli investigation into ‘double tap’ attack that killed 20 people yields results
www.theguardian.com
August 26, 2025 at 3:03 PM
“There needs to be justice,” Thameen Al-Kheetan, the spokesperson for the UN’s human rights office, told reporters on Tuesday in Geneva.
Human rights office demands that Israeli investigation into ‘double tap’ attack that killed 20 people yields results.
www.theguardian.com/world/2025/a...
Human rights office demands that Israeli investigation into ‘double tap’ attack that killed 20 people yields results.
www.theguardian.com/world/2025/a...
Reposted by Claire Davenport
According to Reuters, a group of Democratic attorneys general have separately sued to block parts of the rule. That lawsuit is still pending.
www.reuters.com/legal/govern...
www.reuters.com/legal/govern...
Democratic attorneys general sue to block HHS changes to ACA health insurance marketplaces
A group of Democratic attorneys general sued Thursday to block the implementation of portions of a U.S. Department of Health and Human Services rule set to go into effect next month that they say could lead to nearly 2 million people losing their health insurance.
www.reuters.com
August 22, 2025 at 9:08 PM
According to Reuters, a group of Democratic attorneys general have separately sued to block parts of the rule. That lawsuit is still pending.
www.reuters.com/legal/govern...
www.reuters.com/legal/govern...
Reposted by Claire Davenport
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 Claire Davenport
Our website got a makeover, and we're so excited to share it!
We've even added a new feature—Starter Packs. These are curated collections of our answers to some of your most-asked questions.
Explore it all here: armandalegshow.com
We've even added a new feature—Starter Packs. These are curated collections of our answers to some of your most-asked questions.
Explore it all here: armandalegshow.com
An Arm and A Leg • Why health care costs so much and what to do
Want to fight the awful cost of health care — like outrageous medical bills, health insurance denials, shady debt collectors? Check out our reporting.
armandalegshow.com
August 5, 2025 at 9:40 PM
Our website got a makeover, and we're so excited to share it!
We've even added a new feature—Starter Packs. These are curated collections of our answers to some of your most-asked questions.
Explore it all here: armandalegshow.com
We've even added a new feature—Starter Packs. These are curated collections of our answers to some of your most-asked questions.
Explore it all here: armandalegshow.com
The second episode in our series about managing high prescription drug costs is out! armandalegshow.com/episode/drug...
Come for the expert advice, and stay till the end for the wonky song I made (with the help of a robot).
You can check out the whole series here: armandalegshow.com/drugs/
Come for the expert advice, and stay till the end for the wonky song I made (with the help of a robot).
You can check out the whole series here: armandalegshow.com/drugs/
The Prescription Drug Playbook, Part Two - An Arm And a Leg
Experts share their insider tips. Episode two in a two-part series.
armandalegshow.com
June 30, 2025 at 10:19 PM
The second episode in our series about managing high prescription drug costs is out! armandalegshow.com/episode/drug...
Come for the expert advice, and stay till the end for the wonky song I made (with the help of a robot).
You can check out the whole series here: armandalegshow.com/drugs/
Come for the expert advice, and stay till the end for the wonky song I made (with the help of a robot).
You can check out the whole series here: armandalegshow.com/drugs/
And with @danweissmann.bsky.social as our incredible leader!
The series represents months of work by my brilliant colleagues @clairedavenport.bsky.social and @emilypisacreta.bsky.social — poring over the dozens of stories listeners sent us, conducting countless interviews, and writing up their findings. I'm so thankful and honored to work with them.
June 13, 2025 at 10:33 PM
And with @danweissmann.bsky.social as our incredible leader!
Reposted by Claire Davenport
Coming up across the next few weeks: Three more First Aid Kit installments and another podcast episode to round out our Prescription Drug Playbook.
You'll find An Arm and a Leg wherever you get podcasts, and you can sign up for First Aid Kit here.
firstaidkit.substack.com
You'll find An Arm and a Leg wherever you get podcasts, and you can sign up for First Aid Kit here.
firstaidkit.substack.com
First Aid Kit | Dan Weissmann | Substack
Surviving the health care system, financially. Click to read First Aid Kit, a Substack publication with thousands of subscribers.
firstaidkit.substack.com
June 13, 2025 at 10:17 PM
Coming up across the next few weeks: Three more First Aid Kit installments and another podcast episode to round out our Prescription Drug Playbook.
You'll find An Arm and a Leg wherever you get podcasts, and you can sign up for First Aid Kit here.
firstaidkit.substack.com
You'll find An Arm and a Leg wherever you get podcasts, and you can sign up for First Aid Kit here.
firstaidkit.substack.com
Reposted by Claire Davenport
One in four Americans say they've skipped taking meds in the past 12 months because of cost. We'd like to put a dent in that.
With help from listeners and experts, we've been putting together the best collection of hacks, patches and workarounds we can.
Now we're sharing it.
armandalegshow.com
With help from listeners and experts, we've been putting together the best collection of hacks, patches and workarounds we can.
Now we're sharing it.
armandalegshow.com
June 13, 2025 at 10:17 PM
One in four Americans say they've skipped taking meds in the past 12 months because of cost. We'd like to put a dent in that.
With help from listeners and experts, we've been putting together the best collection of hacks, patches and workarounds we can.
Now we're sharing it.
armandalegshow.com
With help from listeners and experts, we've been putting together the best collection of hacks, patches and workarounds we can.
Now we're sharing it.
armandalegshow.com
Reposted by Claire Davenport
New: A judge blocked the Trump administration’s attempt to crush Harvard’s ability to enroll foreign students hours after the university sued.
Judge blocks Trump administration’s attempt to crush Harvard’s foreign student enrollment
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem notified the university Thursday that its certification for the Student and Exchange Visitor Program was revoked.
www.politico.com
May 23, 2025 at 4:43 PM
New: A judge blocked the Trump administration’s attempt to crush Harvard’s ability to enroll foreign students hours after the university sued.
Columbia again called the NYPD on its students yesterday – but most instances of violence against students,
@meghnadbose.bsky.social and I found, came from the university's own campus security officers.
Here's our full report, for @hellgatenyc.com 👇
hellgatenyc.com/columbia-nyp...
@meghnadbose.bsky.social and I found, came from the university's own campus security officers.
Here's our full report, for @hellgatenyc.com 👇
hellgatenyc.com/columbia-nyp...
Columbia and NYPD Crush Student Library Occupation Supporting Palestine
Wednesday's raid marks the third time in less than thirteen months that Columbia's leadership has requested the NYPD come on campus to intervene in students' pro-Palestinian protest activity.
hellgatenyc.com
May 9, 2025 at 2:58 AM
Reposted by Claire Davenport
sure, new surgeon pick is a MAHA influencer............ but also? she cofounded a tech company with a freaking doge guy www.theverge.com/politics/663...
New surgeon general nominee cofounded ‘biowearables’ startup with DOGE operative
Levels launched with funding from a16z.
www.theverge.com
May 8, 2025 at 4:31 PM
sure, new surgeon pick is a MAHA influencer............ but also? she cofounded a tech company with a freaking doge guy www.theverge.com/politics/663...
Reposted by Claire Davenport
The World Central Kitchen has been forced to halt operations in Gaza—because Israel is refusing to let in food and fuel.
Its trucks have been waiting at the border for 2+ months, loaded with supplies that could save lives.
Its trucks have been waiting at the border for 2+ months, loaded with supplies that could save lives.
World Central Kitchen 'unable to replenish the stocks of food' for Palestinians in Gaza
ow.ly
May 8, 2025 at 4:32 PM
The World Central Kitchen has been forced to halt operations in Gaza—because Israel is refusing to let in food and fuel.
Its trucks have been waiting at the border for 2+ months, loaded with supplies that could save lives.
Its trucks have been waiting at the border for 2+ months, loaded with supplies that could save lives.
Yep, you can negotiate with bill collectors!
Check out the third installment in our newsletter series about your rights and options when dealing with debt collectors.
firstaidkit.substack.com/p/yes-you-ca...
Check out the third installment in our newsletter series about your rights and options when dealing with debt collectors.
firstaidkit.substack.com/p/yes-you-ca...
May 7, 2025 at 3:02 PM
Yep, you can negotiate with bill collectors!
Check out the third installment in our newsletter series about your rights and options when dealing with debt collectors.
firstaidkit.substack.com/p/yes-you-ca...
Check out the third installment in our newsletter series about your rights and options when dealing with debt collectors.
firstaidkit.substack.com/p/yes-you-ca...
Reposted by Claire Davenport
“A number of Republican legislators set to grill university presidents in a congressional hearing on antisemitism this week are associated with calls for Jews to convert to Christianity, have quoted Adolf Hitler, or have reportedly threatened to burn a synagogue to the ground.”
“If there’s antisemitism, I want to hear about it, let’s figure out how to address it, but let’s also look at who’s most at risk and who’s most suffering at this point.”
“I don’t feel unsafe. But if I did, this congressional committee is not the place I would go to.”
“I don’t feel unsafe. But if I did, this congressional committee is not the place I would go to.”
Jewish faculty decry Republican panel members ahead of antisemitism hearing
Lawmakers on key committee have quoted Hitler and are associated with calls for Jews to convert to Christianity
www.theguardian.com
May 6, 2025 at 3:01 PM
“A number of Republican legislators set to grill university presidents in a congressional hearing on antisemitism this week are associated with calls for Jews to convert to Christianity, have quoted Adolf Hitler, or have reportedly threatened to burn a synagogue to the ground.”