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Dan: Hey there. It was just a bit greater than a yr in the past, in May 2025, the final time I checked in with my colleague Julie Rovner. She’s the chief Washington correspondent for our buddies at KFF Health News and in what I’d name a traditional world, like a bit greater than a yr could be actually, actually quickly to speak along with her once more on this present.
Cause after I began making An Arm and a Leg, I didn’t count on that attempting to maintain up with the information was gonna be something I’d actually have to consider an excessive amount of. Like, I used to be getting down to perceive and clarify a multi-trillion greenback chunk of the economic system that isn’t the tech trade, so I used to be like, how briskly may it probably transfer? And Julie Rovner’s factor is fast-moving information. On her weekly podcast, What The Health?, she leads a spherical desk of well being coverage consultants and journalists, and pours over a gradual stream of headlines. Like no matter occurs, huge or small, Julie is monitoring it.
And then got here 2025, and all of the sudden there’s this avalanche of stories, and it’s huge. Like, the Trump administration was making these sweeping adjustments, cuts to federal well being packages. It was a ton of change, and I needed to speak to Julie to attempt to wrap my head round it. And she instructed me even she was struggling to maintain up.
Here’s what she mentioned then.
Julie Rovner: I’m attempting to maintain a working checklist of what’s been lower and what’s been restored, yeah, and it’s nearly unattainable as a result of there’s 20 issues every single day.
Dan: Yeah. And so much’s occurred since then. Like, Congress has added work necessities to Medicaid. It allowed federal subsidies for Obamacare to run out for hundreds of thousands of individuals. And these are, like, the largest image gadgets. The remainder of it seems like a blur. So, pop quiz: do now we have a everlasting FDA commissioner, CDC director, surgeon basic?
I regarded it up. As of July 21 the reply isn’t any, in all three circumstances. It is an avalanche. So I needed to speak to Julie once more to get a glimpse at that avalanche from, like, additional up the mountain, so to talk.
Julie, thanks a lot for coming again.
Julie Rovner: Always a pleasure, Dan.
Dan: Well, we’ll see how a lot of a pleasure it’s to speak concerning the American healthcare system, however let’s give it a shot.
Dan: This is An Arm and a Leg, a present about why healthcare prices so freaking a lot and what we will possibly do about it. I’m Dan Weissmann. I’m a reporter. I like a problem, so the job we’ve chosen right here is to take probably the most enraging, terrifying, miserable components of American life and convey you one thing entertaining, empowering, and helpful. This time with assist from Julie Rovner. Here we go.
Julie, final time we talked, you have been astonished and nervous concerning the tempo of change and, like, destruction given all of the cuts on the Department of Health and Human Services. And right here’s what you mentioned then…
Julie Rovner: How I’ve been excited about that is that our healthcare system is a huge Jenga tower and it’s a bit wobbly and what holds it up is all the pieces that occurs from the Department of Health and Human Services and so they’re yanking out sticks from this Jenga tower as quick as they probably can and when the entire thing comes down, it’s gonna be very not fairly.
Dan: So you mentioned {that a} yr and alter in the past, and identical to the information I’m seeing this week, we’re taping greater than every week earlier than we’re gonna publish this, however there’s been an enormous public well being story within the information. You know, this outbreak of a foodborne parasite referred to as cyclospora that causes explosive diarrhea.
Boris Sanchez: a warning to extra delicate viewers, this subsequent story is form of gross.
Caitríona Perry: If you might be about to tuck right into a bowl of raspberries or a giant plate of salad, we’re very sorry as a result of we could also be about to place you off your meals.
Dr. Richard Smith: If you’re any person that’s into going to salad bars on a weekly foundation Just give {that a} relaxation for every week or two
Dan: Yeah once more, we’re taping this in mid-July, so possibly this all will get cleared up by the point we publish, however proper now, like, I’m personally having early COVID flashbacks attempting to determine what fruit and veggies are fit for human consumption and the way lengthy I’ve to cook dinner them.
And you realize, positive sufficient, of us are mentioning that amongst final yr’s many cuts at HHS was federal monitoring of a half dozen foodborne pathogens, together with this one, cyclospora. So I imply, all of it feels a bit on the nostril. Julie, how are you seeing all this play out?
Julie Rovner: Yeah, it does really feel very on the nostril, if you’ll, um, as a result of we’re, like, a month into this outbreak, and it’s a really huge outbreak. But we nonetheless don’t know what’s inflicting it. So now we’re having, you realize, I noticed this morning, uh, a advice from a physician mentioned, “Just don’t eat any fresh fruits and vegetables for the next week or so,” um, as a result of that is sadly a parasite that doesn’t – you possibly can’t essentially do away with by washing.
Which is to not say don’t wash your fruit and veggies. Do wash your fruit and veggies, however that’s not sufficient on this case. Um, however yeah, in an, in a traditional world, we’d know by now what it was, and no one is aware of what’s fit for human consumption, and that’s what occurs whenever you pull these items out of the Jenga tower.
Dan: Yeah. And once more, like, every week from now after we publish this, who is aware of what we’ll know, who is aware of what we’ll be consuming. But it appears symbolic.
Julie Rovner: Yeah, I believe one of many issues that’s happening, you realize, final yr after we had type of DOGE reducing and, you realize, there have been headlines in every single place, and this, these many individuals have been being laid off, and these many individuals have been taking early buyouts and, you realize, there was, there was all of this type of protection if you’ll, of all of those cuts.
Things are nonetheless not taking place, and issues are nonetheless getting lower, and it’s a lot quieter. You know, cash that officers promised would get distributed as Congress ordered, um, shouldn’t be getting distributed as Congress ordered.
So, you realize, there are people who find themselves ready for grants that haven’t come. Things are nonetheless getting lower. Um, political appointees are nonetheless making selections that usually, that previously have been at all times made by profession skilled scientists, um, docs, um, folks with lengthy expertise. As we all know, we’ve seen massive cuts at a whole lot of these businesses, so there’s a whole lot of experience that’s walked out the door.
So even when there are folks nonetheless there, they don’t essentially know as a lot as they used to. Um, issues are type of happening at that decrease stage that aren’t making headlines, however which can be nonetheless, for the people who find themselves concerned in them, or a minimum of what they inform me, will not be nice.
Dan: Yeah. And what are you seeing play out on account of the cuts that we’ve seen to date? Like, what are you listening to about that I – like, what do I not know that my neighbors is perhaps experiencing, however I simply don’t occur to be listening to about?
Julie Rovner: What you don’t know is how many individuals will not be getting wanted medical care as a result of they’ll’t afford it, whether or not as a result of they misplaced their subsidies for the Affordable Care Act and so they couldn’t proceed to afford their insurance coverage, or in much more circumstances, their subsidies went down and so they purchased down into much less beneficiant insurance policies and now they’ve, you realize, five-figure deductibles, and they also have insurance coverage, however they nonetheless can’t afford to get care.
Or they might be authorized immigrants who misplaced their eligibility for medical health insurance that they used to have, um, or they might be a part of a mixed-status household that dropped insurance coverage as a result of they have been afraid of getting focused by immigration authorities though, you realize, some, some folks within the household, have been completely eligible for these packages.
And now we have seen states which can be beginning to in the reduction of on Medicaid in anticipation of a few of these federal cuts that principally take impact subsequent January, however which can be beginning to take impact in states already.
Adam Atchison: Some particular person caregivers in Colorado are about to see their Medicaid funding lower.
Michael Perchick: Tonight, the key query stays what can North Carolina do to make up for that main funding shortfall?
Justin Corr: One of the largest points we knew the Idaho Legislature would debate this yr. Now Medicaid cuts are shifting ahead.
Julie Rovner: And we’re seeing states which can be reducing again on non-compulsory packages, which, you realize, members of Congress final yr after they have been debating this invoice mentioned, “Oh, we’re not gonna go after people, you know, who are seniors or who have disabilities.”
Um, besides these are the packages which can be non-compulsory, and when states should roll again their Medicaid packages, that’s what they roll again, and certainly, that’s what’s taking place, and we’re seeing, you realize, story after story. But once more, these are taking place a bit extra quietly, making fewer headlines. But for the folks they’re hurting, they’re actually hurting.
Dan: Wow. Yeah, I imply, a few tales that I, you realize, you’re reminding me of, proper, that, um, new federal guidelines hold rolling out, and a few of them embrace eligibility for Medicaid for, like, folks giving care or, or what it means to be medically frail and never be capable to work, proper? Tightening these restrictions and saying, “Look, it’s, you’re gonna have to jump through a lot more hoops to prove that you can’t work.”
Julie Rovner: Yeah, virtually all of those guidelines are being … Those will not be finalized but, however virtually all of those guidelines are additionally being challenged in court docket, um, by states, by, uh, healthcare suppliers, who clearly wouldn’t receives a commission anymore for offering this care, um, and by sufferers. So we’ll see, you realize, how these finally play out.
But there are, you realize, a — this administration has been type of lower first, reply questions later. That’s been form of the theme from the start, and that’s nonetheless what’s happening. You know, one of many issues we’re gonna discuss, um, on our podcast this week, uh, are tales of household caregivers, people who find themselves dropping eligibility for his or her households, uh, to assist deal with them. You know, and, uh, Dr. Oz, who’s the top of Medicare and Medicaid, you realize, has been speaking about people who find themselves, you realize, gathering cash for, you realize, going to the grocery retailer or bringing within the newspaper…
Dr. Oz: Something referred to as private care companies. You’ve by no means heard of that. Personal care companies, principally, you’re paying your children to hold the groceries upstairs, however you’re not really paying. The state’s paying, after which the federal authorities’s paying the state again.
Julie Rovner: That’s not what these persons are doing. These are people who find themselves altering feeding tubes and, you realize, serving to people who find themselves not ambulatory out and in of mattress and on and off the bathroom. I imply, that is … these are very, very tough jobs, um, that, sure, typically relations are paid to do, but when they make it unattainable, a whole lot of these folks don’t know the place they’re going to get assist, and in some circumstances, these sufferers are gonna find yourself in establishments, and that’s gonna find yourself costing the federal authorities and taxpayers much more cash in the long term.
Dan: And, and these cutoffs are taking place now?
Julie Rovner: They are.
Dan: Like, of us are, of us are getting notices or being instructed, like, “No, your check for taking care of mom isn’t coming this week. You’re not getting that.”
Julie Rovner: That’s precisely what’s happening. In, in, in my dwelling state of Maryland, they’re reducing off this program. I imagine… I can’t bear in mind the precise date. It could also be, there could also be one other month or so, nevertheless it’s, you realize, they’re getting notices that these packages are ending and I believe Maryland is one in all a half a dozen states that’s doing that.
Dan: Wow. And it’s, it’s such as you mentioned, these large tales, they’re not grabbing a whole lot of headlines. I imply, like lately in your present, you have been like, “What was shocking last year is now kind of status quo,” like a minimum of by way of media consideration. But you’re nonetheless monitoring all of it.
And, all this jogged my memory of what you mentioned after I talked with you the primary time final yr. So our Zoom assembly began, we began rolling tape. I mentioned, “How are you?” And that is what you mentioned:
Julie Rovner: I’ve a shirt that claims, “Up and not crying.” I even have a shirt that claims, “This is not normal.”
Dan: And I needed to ask you, like, how are you doing now? Are y- d- are these shirts nonetheless in your wardrobe?
Julie Rovner: They are, and I’ve one other one that claims, “This is my living in unprecedented times shirt.” And I form of rotate them.
Dan: And, and the way, as a result of many people have the choice, I at all times figured I did, of like, “Yeah, I’m gonna, I’m gonna titrate my exposure to news. I’m gonna calibrate, like this is how much I, you know, is good for me, is healthy for me to have right now.” And you realize, some folks flip it off altogether. And you shouldn’t have that choice, except you select to do one thing solely completely different. But like, I wanna ask you personally, like what’s that like for you?
Julie Rovner: It’s exhausting.
Dan: Yeah.
Julie Rovner: I imply, I, and I fear. I fear about folks, um, who want healthcare and aren’t getting it. I fear about college students who, um, try to resolve whether or not they can really pursue their goals of turning into a healthcare practitioner or a scientific researcher who’re seeing type of their pipelines lower off. That’s, that’s a giant concern for me proper now.
And I see issues like Ben Sasse, the previous senator who was very close to loss of life from pancreatic most cancers, all of the sudden with the ability to take a brand new drug. And he mentioned that, you realize, his most cancers is 99% gone. I imply, you see these medical breakthroughs that frankly government-sponsored analysis has helped deliver to us, um, and I fear about whether or not they’re gonna be there for the subsequent technology.
I imply, that’s one thing that’s, that’s actually type of leaping out at me. It’s like, have a look at all of the issues that we will do. Do you realize why we’ve been in a position to do that? We’ve had this bipartisan settlement that investing in science and medication is an efficient factor. That’s separate and aside from the truth that our healthcare system is tousled and prices an excessive amount of, which I do know is what you think about – thanks very a lot. Um, however, you realize, each of them are in bother proper now. And as I say, it’s not a lot … You know, final yr it was all of the headlines. Now it’s simply type of, as I mentioned, it’s form of grow to be the established order that issues are crumbling, and that worries me much more than when it was all around the headlines.
Dan: Coming up, I get Julie’s tackle what’s taking place to the Affordable Care Act and what she thinks is gonna occur in 2028 and past. That’s subsequent
Dan: This episode of An Arm and a Leg is produced in partnership with KFF Health News. That’s a nonprofit newsroom masking well being points in America.
The of us at KFF Health News are superb journalists like, you realize, as we speak’s visitor, Julie Rovner. Their work wins all types of awards yearly, and we’re honored to work with them
Dan: So, Julie, you realize, for the reason that final time we talked, as you famous: some Obamacare subsidies ended, and premiums went by way of the roof. Millions of individuals have dropped their insurance coverage. And tons have signed up for cheaper plans that cowl much less.
And now, the Trump administration has been rewriting the principles for subsequent yr to encourage extra folks to join plans that might cowl so much much less, like together with plans that require you to spend $30,000 or extra to cowl your loved ones earlier than insurance coverage kicks in in any respect. And, you realize, like, the 2 pillars of the Affordable Care Act have been, like, let’s use subsidies to make non-crummy non-public insurance coverage reasonably priced for most individuals, and let’s increase Medicaid.
So, Republicans saved saying they only needed to repeal the ACA, however, you realize, they by no means did. And now I’m questioning, like, are we seeing one thing that’s, like, successfully form of a gradual movement repeal of the ACA by different means?
Julie Rovner: Oh, completely. No query about it. Um, a lot of the Affordable Care Act has been dismantled over, you realize, th- th- this was … Several folks have written this story. It’s like, you realize, Republicans failed on their repeal and change after they referred to as it repeal. But principally, over the past 10 years, have a look at all of the issues we’ve taken away.
All the taxes that supported the financing of this have gone away. So the supporting taxes which have been on principally individ- you realize, they have been on well being insurers, and drug firms, and, and enormous companies, most of these have been, have gone away. Thank you lobbyists, you realize, who got here and mentioned, “We don’t wanna pay these taxes.” Um, so principally the cash’s simply popping out of the treasury now.
The- one of many issues that the Republican price range invoice did final yr um, it didn’t roll again the specific, growth of Medicaid, however now we’re gonna have these work necessities, which, what we all know from different states which have performed work necessities find yourself, sure, taking off people who find themselves, who merely refuse to work, but additionally due to the paperwork concerned, find yourself reducing off people who find themselves working, and who’re eligible, and who do want the, the medical health insurance protection. We have seen this.
You know, most people who find yourself getting kicked off this system get kicked off for what are referred to as administrative causes, which suggests they only couldn’t navigate all the required paperwork and paperwork. Um, so I imply, we actually are seeing a gradual movement repeal of the Affordable Care Act.
Dan: And so what would possibly occur? I imply, Like, you’ve been this for 40 years, and I’m, I’m sufficiently old to recollect as a teen noticing that, like, when Bill Clinton ran for president within the early Nineties, you realize, a giant piece of the pitch was like, “Healthcare costs too much. Not enough people have insurance. We gotta do something about it.” And it, you realize, they weren’t in a position to cross a regulation. But the place would possibly issues go?
Julie Rovner: So let me let you know one of many issues that form of freaks me out. Um, would, and also you return to type of the Affordable Care Act. I coated the Clinton well being plan, and it- it died, as I like to explain, as a result of, you realize, everyone, all of these particular pursuits needed to chop off only one finger of it, and in the long run, the affected person bled to loss of life. That’s type of been my go-to metaphor for the Clinton healthcare plan.
So what occurred after they tried to place collectively the Obama healthcare plan is it like- like relatively than have all the particular curiosity outdoors of the tent, let’s get all of the particular curiosity into the tent, and one of many methods they did that’s mentioned, “Look, if more people are insured, then you’re gonna get more of your bills paid.”
And notably, you realize, the hospitals and the drug firms mentioned, “Yeah, that sounds good. We would like people to be able to pay for the things that we provide.” Um, effectively, so what are we doing now? We’re taking this aside, and we’re having folks not be capable to pay for issues, and we’re having states not be capable to pay for issues.
States had used what was referred to as artistic financing for his or her portion of Medicaid, which bear in mind, is a shared expense between the federal authorities and the states. So now you’ve obtained hospitals freaking out, and also you additionally … I imply, we’re seeing hospitals shut. It begins with rural hospitals. But, you realize, I- I prefer to say it’s not simply folks with out insurance coverage who’re gonna be impacted by this.
If well being suppliers can now not hold their doorways open, then even you probably have insurance coverage, chances are you’ll not have anyplace to go to get it. We’re already seeing healthcare deserts in, you realize, much less populated components of the nation. What is that this gonna do whenever you see fewer folks with medical health insurance, fewer folks with Medicaid, fewer folks with the Affordable Care Act?
Dan: Umm. Wow.
Julie Rovner: Sorry, I’m only a persevering with ray of sunshine.
Dan: No, no, no. No, no, you’re, you’re like– I’m asking you what would possibly occur, you’re like, “Well, here’s the worst that might happen.” But, um, you realize, what would possibly a path appear to be to altering course?
Julie Rovner: Well, I really feel like, you realize, and on the subject of healthcare, the left is shifting to the left and the precise is shifting to the precise. Um, you realize, we’ve at all times in, within the 40 years I’ve been doing this, um, and even going again to issues like Medicare in 1965, what has gotten issues performed is when folks, is when the 2 sides come collectively in a compromise. Those are the one huge achievements in healthcare. Um, with the doable exception of the Affordable Care Act, which Republicans say, you realize, “Oh, that wasn’t, you know, that w- that was only, that passed only with Democratic votes,” nevertheless it was a Republican thought. It was pulled from what Mitt Romney did in Massachusetts in 2006. So it was meant as a compromise, um, even when in the long run the Republicans … The Republicans began shifting proper, I believe, earlier than the Democrats began shifting left.
But now you’re seeing, you realize, a lot of the Democratic candidates, I’m trying within the midterms, you realize, are, are again to the mantra of Medicare for All. Joe Biden was one of many few candidates in 2020 who didn’t endorse Medicare for All. He needed to only increase the Affordable Care Act. That’s what was seen as a center floor.
Now no one appears to desire a center floor. You know, the precise desires to only take all the pieces aside and get authorities out of healthcare usually and let folks, you realize, type of give folks a bit bit of cash and have them, you realize, have the free market take over. And the left desires Medicare for All, which is, you realize, the, the U.S. has tried to, to do what each different nation has performed and have common protection, and has to date probably not succeeded at that. Although I’ll say at its peak, the, when the Affordable Care Act had the expanded subsidies, we have been right down to about an 8% uninsurance price, which was the bottom since anyone had been protecting monitor. So it was, it was getting nearer.
Um, however now I see the events shifting aside. Will they transfer again collectively once more in some unspecified time in the future? I don’t know. Um, however, however for, I believe, the fast future, we’re seeing them retreat to their corners. And in healthcare that actually, though typically on the 30,000-foot stage they’ve been combating about that, on the 5,000-foot stage they’ve been in a position to get collectively and do issues. Um, instance is the No Surprises Act, you realize, the let’s do away with shock payments.
Um, I’m unsure I even see them coming collectively on type of the little stuff proper now. Everybody is simply very, very, very sad with everyone else.
Dan: Wow. Well. Okay. Uh, it’s not the cheerfulest factor I ever
Julie Rovner: You appear to be you’re, you’re processing that.
Dan: I’m. I’m. I’m. I’m. And after all, you realize, as you say, throughout this era when folks had, when the, the best proportion of individuals had insurance coverage, uh, you realize, I’m nonetheless doing this present. I imply, folks have insurance coverage, however having insurance coverage doesn’t essentially imply you may have healthcare that you just want and might afford.
Julie Rovner: Yes, all the pieces. We will each be employed for so long as we wish speaking concerning the foibles of the U.S. healthcare system.
Dan: I imply…
Julie Rovner: That I’m con- that prediction I’m very assured of
Dan: I’ll by no means run out of fabric – that’s the crappy factor. But issues are, like we mentioned, they’re accelerating, they’re completely different, and I’m questioning how is all this altering the way you see your job going ahead?
Julie Rovner: Well, one factor that I’m, working in the direction of myself, is I’m predicting that we’re going to have one other main political throw down over healthcare within the coming years. Not essentially subsequent yr, however in all probability, you realize, the … I believe this shall be a giant focus of the 2028 presidential marketing campaign, and in 2029 we’re gonna have a giant debate.
Are we gonna clear up something? I do not know. But in preparation for that debate, I really feel like there’s an entire technology that type of didn’t dwell by way of the Clinton well being plan, and that didn’t even dwell by way of the struggle over the Affordable Care Act, and that one of many issues that I want to do as type of a public service, um, is throw all the choices again on the desk for folks to see that, you realize, that if this was straightforward, we’d’ve solved it a very long time in the past.
So I’m … One of the issues that we’re doing as a part of our podcast is a particular challenge referred to as How Would You Fix It? I’m type of calling each sensible individual I do know from throughout the ideological spectrum and asking them, “Okay, how would you fix it?”
I imply, I’m nearing retirement myself. I really feel like I’ve this obligation to form of, you realize, shepherd the individuals who wanna be taught by way of one other spherical of this, um, in order that we will have an informed debate and resolve what we as a society wanna do about healthcare.
Dan: Wow. You suppose there shall be an ideal huge dialog, there shall be an ideal huge change.
Julie Rovner: Uh, I believe there shall be an ideal huge dialog. I don’t know that I believe there shall be nice huge change. I’ve, I’ve, I’ve coated sufficient of unsuccessful ones of those. I, I’m not predicting its success, I’m merely predicting the struggle.
Dan: Fair, honest, honest. But, uh, even so, um, having a giant public dialog appears higher than not.
Julie Rovner: As a journalist, I’d suppose that. As any person, and who’s … As any person who cares concerning the, the, the sorry state of our healthcare system, I, I believe it might be — I believe it’s time.
Frankly, one of many causes I believe that is about to occur is that when within the early 2000s, after we have been type of constructing as much as the struggle over the Affordable Care Act, you could possibly type of see it coming as a result of everyone was sad, and everyone needed to sue for peace.
Um, you realize, that the, the hospitals have been sad, the drug firms have been sad, the docs have been sad. You know, the, the employers have been sad. The labor unions have been sad. I really feel like that’s true once more, and it’s extra true.
And now even the haves, what we name them, the individuals who have insurance coverage and don’t need, you realize, are afraid of change, even the haves are sad. Everybody thinks they’re paying an excessive amount of, which is why I’m predicting we’re gonna have one other huge public debate about this within the subsequent 4 or 5 years.
Dan: I believe the prospect of getting a giant public debate a few huge public downside additionally strikes me as like an optimistic stance for anybody who cares about, you realize, residing in a democracy the place folks have a say in, in democracy the place folks have a say in what occurs.
Julie Rovner: It is, I, I’m type of clinging to it as a, as a hope
Dan: Mm-hmm. I, uh, I simply actually respect that.
Julie Rovner, thanks a lot for becoming a member of me. It’s been such a pleasure. Um, until subsequent time, I’ll be listening to “How Did You Fix It?”
Julie Rovner: Thank you, Dan. And see, speaking to you makes me really feel higher.
Dan: All proper. That’s what I’m going for. That’s what I’m going for. Let, let’s keep in contact.
Julie Rovner: We will.
Dan: All proper. Great. Take care.
Julie Rovner: Thanks, Dan.
Dan: Bye-bye.
Dan: Okay, so I requested Julie Rovner how the avalanche of change has her excited about her job description nowadays, and I wanna share how I’ve been excited about mine.
You might need observed over the past couple of months we’ve taken a break from producing podcast episodes, and right here’s why. Basically, in April just a few household well being points blossomed all of sudden. And as I turned my consideration there, I spotted I had some well being problems with my very own that wanted consideration.
I began making this present eight years in the past. I’ve been working it on a shoestring ever since, and that has meant working myself a bit ragged typically. Honestly, too typically and for too lengthy. That’s not good for my well being, and it’s not good for An Arm and a Leg, ’trigger a ragged model of me doesn’t make the perfect model of this present.
I wanted a while simply to interrupt some habits — I referred to as it detox from workaholism — and I wanted to take care of my very own well being.
Like, earlier this yr, I’d scheduled a bit surgical procedure, and I put it off ’trigger I obtained sick from — you guessed it — working myself so ragged. And after all I used to be nonetheless attempting to run so exhausting, I couldn’t think about after I would possibly reschedule it. So truthfully, it wasn’t till I put myself on break for a minute that I even thought, “Oh yeah, I, I could do that surgery now.”
So surgical procedure occurred in early June. I’m all healed up, and I’ve been working with a very wonderful therapist, and I’ve been extremely grateful to my colleagues for his or her persistence and for protecting issues working. And collectively, we’re beginning to put collectively some new methods of doing issues. It’s gonna be a piece in progress.
There are so many issues we wanna do. But I can’t be a workaholic anymore. So for our subsequent episode, we’re gonna deliver again yet another favourite from our archives, give ourselves a working begin, after which we’ve obtained some unimaginable, vital tales and tasks we simply can’t wait to get again to. For now, thanks a lot for sticking with us. It is a privilege to get to do that work, make this present for you, and to work with my unimaginable colleagues.
I’ll catch you quickly. Till then let’s all deal with ourselves.
This episode of An Arm and a Leg was produced by Emily Pisacreta, with assist from our summer season intern, Lynn Barbera (welcome, Lynn!) — and edited by Ellen Weiss.
Adam Raymonda is our audio wizard.
Our music is by Dave Weiner and Blue Dot Sessions.
Claire Davenport is our engagement producer.
Amanda Boyd is our Operations Manager. Bea Bosco is our consulting director of operations.
An Arm and a Leg is produced in partnership with KFF Health News. That’s a nationwide newsroom producing in-depth journalism about well being points in America and a core program at KFF, an impartial supply of well being coverage analysis, polling, and journalism.
Zach Dyer is senior audio producer at KFF Health News. He’s editorial liaison to this present.
An Arm and a Leg is distributed by KUOW, Seattle’s NPR information station.
And due to the Institute for Nonprofit News for serving as our fiscal sponsor.
They permit us to just accept tax-exempt donations. You can be taught extra about INN at INN.org.
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