‘An Arm And A Leg’: Forget The Shakedown. To Get Paid, Hospitals Get Creative.

By Dan Weissmann June 12, 2019

Can’t see the audio player?

Health care — and how much it costs — is scary. But you’re not alone with this stuff, and knowledge is power. “An Arm and a Leg” is a podcast about these issues, and its second season is co-produced by KHN.

An unexpected hospital bill can bust the family budget. More and more Americans have health plans that require them to pony up a high deductible before insurance kicks in. That leaves lots of people with bills they can’t pay. Turns out, that’s a crisis for hospitals too, and some are getting creative about collecting debt.

A few years ago, a table saw accident sent woodworker Jim Crannell to the emergency room with a bloody gash in his finger. The pain was bad, and afterward Crannell was bracing for a ghastly medical bill, too. But at discharge, he got an offer that promised to ease his financial suffering.

Listen to find out what happened next on Season 2, Episode 2 of “An Arm and a Leg: A Podcast About the Cost of Health Care.”

Season 2 is a co-production of Kaiser Health News and Public Road Productions.

To keep in touch with “An Arm and a Leg,” . You can also follow the show on ��Ի��. And if you’ve got stories to tell about the health care system, the producers .

To hear all Kaiser Health News podcasts,��click here.

And subscribe to “An Arm and a Leg” on ,��,��ǰ��.

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‘An Arm And A Leg’: Forget The Shakedown. To Get Paid, Hospitals Get Creative.

By Dan Weissmann June 12, 2019

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<p><em>Can’t see the audio player? </em></p>

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<p><em>Can’t see the audio player? </em></p>

<p>An unexpected hospital bill can bust the family budget. More and more Americans have health plans that require them to pony up a high deductible before insurance kicks in. That leaves lots of people with bills they can’t pay. Turns out, that’s a crisis for hospitals too, and some are getting creative about collecting debt.</p>
<p>A few years ago, a table saw accident sent woodworker Jim Crannell to the emergency room with a bloody gash in his finger. The pain was bad, and afterward Crannell was bracing for a ghastly medical bill, too. But at discharge, he got an offer that promised to ease his financial suffering.</p>
<p>Listen to find out what happened next on Season 2, Episode 2 of “An Arm and a Leg: A Podcast About the Cost of Health Care.”</p>
<p>Season 2 is a co-production of Kaiser Health News and Public Road Productions.</p>

<p>To keep in touch with “An Arm and a Leg,” . You can also follow the show on �����Ի���. And if you’ve got stories to tell about the health care system, the producers .</p>
<p><em>To hear all Kaiser Health News podcasts,��<a href="/news/tag/podcast/">click here</a>.</em></p>
<p><em>And subscribe to “An Arm and a Leg” on ,��,�����ǰ���.</em></p>
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