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Dan Weissmann

@danweissmann.bsky.social

20K followers 2.2K following 370 posts

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

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Dan Weissmann @danweissmann.bsky.social · Jul 2

For the last six months, my colleagues and I have been compiling our best "playbook" for dealing with the awful price of meds — with suggestions from dozens of listeners and readers.

Now, we've published the results — five newsletter posts, two podcast episodes, and more:
armandalegshow.com/drugs/

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Dan Weissmann @danweissmann.bsky.social · 19d

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...

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Dan Weissmann @danweissmann.bsky.social · 19d

Awesome list (and great adds in the comments)!
Adding a plug for my tiny, audience-supported @armandalegshow.bsky.social
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

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Reposted by Dan Weissmann

Michael McAuliff @mcauliff.bsky.social · 20d

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

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Reposted by Dan Weissmann

KFF Health News @kffhealthnews.org · 21d

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

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Dan Weissmann @danweissmann.bsky.social · 20d

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...

www.insidearm.com

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Dan Weissmann @danweissmann.bsky.social · 21d

"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?

www.nytimes.com

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Reposted by Dan Weissmann

An Arm and a Leg @armandalegshow.bsky.social · 23d

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

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Dan Weissmann @danweissmann.bsky.social · 29d

Also: yes— thank you so much for chiming in here!

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Dan Weissmann @danweissmann.bsky.social · 29d

So, any other jabs I’ve been meaning to get — Shingrix dose 2 for me, a final meningitis booster for my kid— might be prudent to grab before 9/18?

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Dan Weissmann @danweissmann.bsky.social · Sep 7

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 · Sep 6

We in the U.S. use less care than in other countries, but pay more.
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

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Reposted by Dan Weissmann

dan sinker @dansinker.com · Sep 4

this is a very helpful guide to a completely insane situation

David_j_roth @davidjroth.bsky.social · Sep 4

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

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Dan Weissmann @danweissmann.bsky.social · Sep 4

For a deeper dive -- including templates for appeal letters, and tips from people who do these appeals for a living -- @armandalegshow.bsky.social has a collection right here:
armandalegshow.com/starter-pack...

Help! Insurance denied my claim. • An Arm And a Leg

Insurance denies lots of claims, and people give up. But the majority of people who appeal win. Here's the best of what we've published so far to help you.

armandalegshow.com

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Dan Weissmann @danweissmann.bsky.social · Sep 4

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

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Dan Weissmann @danweissmann.bsky.social · Sep 3

“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

HELLody SchreiBOO @melodyschreiber.com · Sep 3

“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

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Reposted by Dan Weissmann

Bram Sable-Smith @realbrambo.bsky.social · Sep 2

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 · Sep 2

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...

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

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Dan Weissmann @danweissmann.bsky.social · Aug 29

Whoa— any chance you’ve got a relevant link handy?

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Dan Weissmann @danweissmann.bsky.social · Aug 22

“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.

www.axios.com

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Dan Weissmann @danweissmann.bsky.social · Aug 22

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 · Aug 22

✨ 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...

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Reposted by Dan Weissmann

KFF Health News @kffhealthnews.org · Aug 21

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

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Dan Weissmann @danweissmann.bsky.social · Aug 20

“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 · Aug 20

“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

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Reposted by Dan Weissmann

Brittany Trang @brittanytrang.com · Aug 20

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 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

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Dan Weissmann @danweissmann.bsky.social · Aug 20

Oof, here too looks like…

Dan Weissmann @danweissmann.bsky.social · Aug 19

Oh wow.

Your Local Epidemiologist @ylepidemiologist.bsky.social · Aug 18

7/ If you’re under 65 and not high risk, the window to get a Covid-19 vaccine is right now—before the FDA label changes. Once it happens, access will be limited immediately (if it isn’t already). CVS is no longer booking appointments. As far as we know, Walgreens and local pharmacies still are.

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Dan Weissmann @danweissmann.bsky.social · Aug 19

Really, NYT Spelling Bee? You think there’s a chance that I — a podcaster — could miss this panagram? First thing I saw.

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Dan Weissmann @danweissmann.bsky.social · Aug 19

You need a little hope in your day? Right here.

The "one man" in the headline is @johngreensbluesky.bsky.social — who will be the first to tell you he didn't fight alone.

Give a listen.

(Disclosure: I co-reported this w/ @emilypisacreta.bsky.social.)
www.organizedmoney.fm/p/how-one-ma...

How One Man Fought A Pharmaceutical Monopoly

Welcome to the podcast Organized Money.

www.organizedmoney.fm

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