Hey, first! If you value what we do, this is the best-ever time to support our work: This month, every donation gets matched two-for-one.

We have SO much work ahead in 2026. Head to https://armandalegshow.com/support/ to donate — and get your money matched two-for-one.

This statement might shock you: some actual good things happened in 2025. Or, at least things that did not totally suck.

Stuff like: new limits on the hoops insurance companies can make you jump through, and new protections from predatory debt collectors..

These are just a couple examples of what state governments have been up to this year – in red, blue, and purple states alike.

State governments can’t do it all, but across a couple of episodes, we’ll dive into a handful of meaningful wins, and learn how they came to pass.

Today’s episode takes us to Nebraska, where the state passed aggressive new restrictions on prior authorization.

And Virginia, where lawmakers banned wage garnishment for lots of medical debts.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Economist Vivian Ho has been researching the US health care system for four decades. These days she focuses on what she describes as the biggest burden on the average American: runaway hospital prices and rising health insurance premiums. (You know, Arm and a Leg stuff.)

And she’s developed a strategy for addressing high insurance premiums – one based on a real-life success story.

So when she asked us to help her gather data for a new study, we were intrigued.

We break down Vivian’s theory of change, and how sharing your medical bills with her team could help build a data arsenal for the fight ahead.

Want to share your documents with Vivian and her team?

You can find all details about how to send them here.

Here’s a transcript of this episode.

Send your stories and questions! Or call 724 ARM-N-LEG.

Of course we’d love for you to support this show.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A listener named Thomas Sanford wrote to us earlier this year, asking for help with a little DIY project. And it’s turned into the most encouraging thing we’ve seen all year.

With input from the Arm and a Leg community — specifically folks who get our First Aid Kit newsletter — Thomas has drafted a one-page handout, packed with resources for anyone who needs help with medical bills.

It’s ready for you to use, and he wants your help making it better.

You’ll hear all about Thomas’s story — he’s a medical resident, who started out just wanting something to hand to his own patients — in today’s mini-episode.

And now you can get involved. Thomas’s current version is great — and there’s also tons of room to improve it, with your help.

• Print out the current version and pass it around: Download it right here.
• Make suggestions for the next version: Anybody can comment on this Google doc.
• Volunteer to pitch in: Got design skills? Editorial chops? Language skills, to translate it? Other ideas? Here’s a sign-up form.

And you can make your own adaptations! Thomas has registered it with a Creative Commons license.

This project has been incubating in our First Aid Kit newsletter. If you’re not subscribed, this is a great time to sign up.

Here’s a transcript of this episode.

Send your stories and questions! Or call 724 ARM-N-LEG.

Of course we’d love for you to support this show.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.