Journalism and research ยท An Arm and a Leg
An Arm and a Leg: First Aid Kit
An archive of articles and starter packs from the podcast An Arm and a Leg, including a starter pack on what to do if you are in collections for medical debt. General reporting on health care costs, not appeal steps.
Know before you go
The page is a feed of posts and starter packs, and much of it is about costs and policy rather than denials. The starter pack on medical debt in collections is the part most useful if a denied claim has become a bill. It does not give appeal deadlines for your plan.
- Cost
- Not stated
- Where
- Nationwide
- How to start
- Open the starter pack on medical debt in collections and follow the links in it.
- Have ready
- The collection notice or bill; Your explanation of benefits and denial letter
Where this comes from
- Provider
- An Arm and a Leg
- Source we read
- https://armandalegshow.com/first-aid-kit/
- Date we read it
- . This is not a fresh check.
- Date the provider printed
- Not displayed
- What we checked
- We read the provider's public page. We have not verified availability, eligibility or outcomes for any individual.
Other starting points
- Program or service
1-800-MEDICARE: talk to a person about Medicare
The Medicare phone line and live chat, open all day every day. Staff can point you to the right step for a complaint, and can pass an unresolved complaint to the Medicare Beneficiary Ombudsman.
From Medicare (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services)
- Program or service
American Cancer Society 24-hour helpline
A phone and chat line staffed around the clock by cancer information specialists who answer questions and connect you to services. It is an information and referral line, not an appeals service.
From American Cancer Society
- Program or service
Cancer Legal Resource Center and Cancer Justice helpline
A legal helpline and resource library for people with cancer, run by the Disability Rights Legal Center. Covers legal questions about insurance, work and money. Whether staff can take your case is not stated.
From Disability Rights Legal Center