“An Arm and a Leg” Reveals the True Cost of Healthcare

When I graduated from college and I was no longer eligible for my university’s healthcare plan, I went without any medical insurance for two years. When I finally did get health insurance, it was only because paying its monthly fees would cost me less in the long run than the taxes I’d had to pay back if I had nothing. When I had that health insurance, I couldn’t afford to go to a doctor’s office. I was paying monthly for health insurance I couldn’t really afford so I didn’t have to pay taxes I definitely couldn’t afford, all while also not being able to afford seeing a doctor in the first place. Now that I’m financially stable (and insured), I’ve contributed to more GoFundMe and YouCaring campaigns for friends’ medical bills than I can count.

Health care in the United States is a nightmare. An Arm and a Leg is a podcast that aims to both reveal and unravel that nightmare, making it accessible and exciting for the listener.

An Arm and a Leg is the story of what happens to someone when they suddenly no longer have health care. How are they impacted? What do they need to worry about? Why is the American healthcare system so absurd, and who’s doing it better?

Host Dan Weissmann has a rich history in journalism and audio. Weissmann has worked for Chicago’s NPR station WBEZ, and his work has been on shows like like All Things Considered and 99% Invisible. This background means two primary things for the podcast:

1. It’s well-researched, showing many different sides and takes on the story, and
2. It sounds incredible.

The podcast features investigative journalism, but it centers on Weissmann’s actual story, giving An Arm and a Leg the feel of something similar to creative nonfiction. It’s well-reported, but it’s also personal. It’s about a heavy, stress-inducing topic, but it’s also funny and casual. While listening, the podcast somehow lulls you into a sense of oxymoronically relaxed anxiety. It’s a fun enough listen to strip away the panicked fears you might have about healthcare, if you’ve ever had to be afraid about medical bills, while reminding you that a fury about the system really is righteous.

Weissmann,’s story isn’t the only one being told, though. Throughout the podcast, Weissmann speaks to others who have had healthcare issues. Weissmann interviews people who, for instance, feel guilty about how extremely expensive their treatments are, even if their treatments are the only thing keeping them alive and healthy. This connection with others who have been harmed by the healthcare system shows how pervasive the problems are, but also how, if you’re someone who’ struggled with healthcare, you’re not alone.

For those who have never experienced the fear of not being able to afford medical expenses, I imagine Arm and a Leg is a fascinating study in what so much of the country experiences versus something so close to home. It will provide deep insight and stories to make you empathize with those who have preexisting conditions, can’t afford healthcare, or have recently lost theirs and don’t know what to do.

Each episode breaks apart a different facet of healthcare. One of the most strange and fascinating is the discussion of how the Renaissance Fair tends to their employees who have medical costs. Ren Fests don’t provide health insurance, but instead collaborate on crowdfunding a pool to help whoever needs it most in inventive ways. It’s both inspiring and frustrating: it’s wonderful to see the community of artists truly taking care of each other, but infuriating that this is their best method to keep themselves alive.

Weissmann’s editing and production are key in An Arm and a Leg. Each episode sounds crisp, and they’re kept to a tight story usually under twenty minutes. It’s enough to get the point across efficiently, weaving interview recordings in with Weissmann’s narration, without overstaying its welcome. Keeping the episodes short makes sure the relaxed tone can be maintained without being forced, while also ensuring each story is whittled down to its most essential parts.

An Arm and a Leg is one of 2018’s most interesting new nonfiction podcasts, breaking apart how the healthcare system works while also sharing people’s stories of their own struggles with healthcare. Its comforting style and approach to stories is indicative of one of the podcast’s mission statements: “We may be screwed, but we’re together. And if we want to get even a little bit less-screwed, we need each other. If nothing else, we can be good company to each other.”

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