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
Studies tested ChatGPT with medical queries— they gave wrong answers half the time. Confidently. “Chatbots are not designed for health… They are designed for one thing: to mimic conversational fluency. They are just good at talking, like a salesperson when you try to buy a car.” wapo.st/4cqPEVx
Thinking of using a chatbot for medical advice? Read this first.
Two studies put ChatGPT, Gemini and others to the test on questions of health. In one, they got almost half the answers wrong.
wapo.st
“…instead of patients shopping for medical services, it’s mostly health systems and insurers using the little data there is, turning it into fodder for negotiations...”
Trump Required Hospitals To Post Their Prices for Patients. Mostly It’s the Industry Using the Data. - KFF Health News
Politicians have pushed for price transparency in health care. But instead of patients shopping for services, it’s mostly health systems and insurers that are using the information, as fodder for negotiations over pay.
kffhealthnews.org
KFF’s latest poll shows a majority of the public (59%) now say they are at least “somewhat worried” about being able to afford prescription drugs for themselves and their families. This is the largest share since KFF first polled on this question in 2018. https://on.kff.org/4s4LNCF
Fans of the pod and want to give us feedback? Take our survey! It’s quick, anonymous, and you could win a free Arm and a Leg sticker: https://armandalegshow.com/2026-survey/
“Nobody wants that product,” said Amitabh Chandra, a Harvard health economist who has studied high-deductible plans. Gift link www.nytimes.com/2026/02/26/h...
New A.C.A. Plans Could Increase Family Deductibles to $31,000
nytimes.com
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
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...
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
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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.
Max Blau@maxblau.bsky.social · 7mo agoA 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...
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.
"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...
Opinion | Five Americans on Going Broke Paying for Their Health Care
nytimes.com
Bookmarking these shocking-not-surprising numbers. Holy crap.
KFF@kff.org · 7mo agoKFF 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
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...
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
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...
Will we be able to afford insurance in 2026? • An Arm And a Leg
An Arm and a Leg's senior producer has to sign up for Obamacare. And it turns out, it’s one heck of a year to do that. An Arm and a Leg's senior producer has to sign up for Obamacare. And it turns out...
armandalegshow.com
KFF@kff.org · 11mo agoHow much more would people pay if the ACA Marketplace’s enhanced tax credits expire at the end of this year, as expected? Our calculator shows how enrollees’ premiums for 2026 would increase based on zip code, their income, age, and family size: https://on.kff.org/4fX4Fxc
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...
cbo.gov
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...
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
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...
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...
insidearm.com
"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...
I Have Dental Insurance. Why Do I Pay So Much for Care?
nytimes.com
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
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.
Larry Levitt@larrylevitt.bsky.social · 11mo agoWe in the U.S. use less care than in other countries, but pay more. www.healthsystemtracker.org/chart-collec...
Excellent primer. Go ahead and bookmark it. You, or somebody you know, is gonna need it. 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
“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
Melody Schreiber@melodyschreiber.com · 11mo ago“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...
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...
KFF Health News@kffhealthnews.org · 11mo agoAmericans 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...
“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...
Why health costs are going to hit workers hard next year
The added costs will hit workers already reeling from inflationary pressures.
axios.com
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!
Online News Association@journalists.org · 12mo ago✨ 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...
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...
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
“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.”
KFF Health News@kffhealthnews.org · 12mo ago“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...
