Latest California Healthline Stories
An Arm and a Leg: Wait, What’s a PBM?
Pharmacy benefit managers, or PBMs, are companies that negotiate the prices of prescription drugs. Hear about their role in raising drug prices and the ongoing efforts to regulate this complex industry.
An Arm and a Leg: Credit Card, Please
What do you do when a medical provider asks you to provide a credit card upfront? In this episode, we hear advice about your options in this situation.
An Arm and a Leg: A ‘Payday Loan’ From a Health Care Behemoth
UnitedHealth Group is the largest health insurer in the United States. And it keeps growing. This has led some health care experts to call for antitrust regulation of this “behemoth” company.
An Arm and a Leg: Mental Health ‘Ghost Networks’ — And a Ghostbuster
What should you do when your search for an in-network mental health care provider comes up empty? Abigail Burman has some expertise to share.
An Arm and a Leg: A $229,000 Medical Bill Goes to Court
In 2014, Lisa French had spinal surgery. Before the operation, she was told she would have to pay $1,337 in out-of-pocket costs and that her insurance would cover the rest. However, the hospital ended up sending French a bill for $229,000. When she didn’t pay, it sued her. The case went all the way to […]
An Arm and a Leg: A Doctor’s Love Letter to ‘The People’s Hospital’
Could a charity hospital founded by a crusading Dutch playwright, a group of Quakers, and a judge working undercover become a model for the U.S. health care system? In this episode of the podcast “An Arm and a Leg,” host Dan Weissmann speaks with Dr. Ricardo Nuila to find out. Nuila’s new book, The People’s […]
An Arm and a Leg: Wrestling With a Giant: How to Dispute a Hospital Bill
One listener tried to dispute a $1,300 “facility fee” with the treating hospital, his insurer, a bill-mediation service provided by his employer, and finally a debt collector. He didn’t win, but he learned valuable lessons about advocating for hospital discounts.
An Arm and a Leg: She Sued a Hospital and Lost — But Felt She’d Won
A listener sued a hospital in small-claims court and lost but felt as if she’d won. Now, she wants to encourage more people to take their bills to court.
An Arm and a Leg: Can They Freaking Do That?!? (2023 Update)
Can a medical provider you’ve never heard of send you an outrageous bill? Sure. Can you fight back and win? Yes, sometimes you can. Here’s how to do it.
‘An Arm and a Leg’: The Year in Review, From Prenatal Testing to Insulin Pricing
The editorial team of “An Arm and a Leg” looks back on the reporting that hit close to home over the past year, including insulin pricing and prenatal testing.