March 15, 2020
Like many of you, no doubt, I have been consumed with COVID-19 media as schools close and workplaces promote social distancing. I listened to (probably way too) many podcasts and will likely continue doing so in the following weeks, but the rapidly shifting news makes it kind of pointless to recommend any specific episodes. The featured show in this issue feels pretty timely. The latest season of An Arm and a Leg wrapped in mid-February, before the virus really hit the US, so don’t expect to encounter that here. It will, however, help promote a better understanding of the whole system, and that should hint at the ramifications a massive influx of patients may yield. Read on, and keep washing those hands!
SOMETHING NEW
SOMETHING NEW
A public radio reporter walks into a bar - but he’s self-employed, so how does he pay if he needs stitches? This bad joke is sort of the setup for An Arm and a Leg, a new indie pod about American healthcare driven by reporter Dan Weissmann. The personal motivation didn’t arise from a freak accident, but rather Weissmann’s career transition outside of the realm of institutional journalism. The intrepid newsman bootstrapped this project that can be devastating, humorous and vitally important in any given stretch of any given episode. If the subject matter weren’t as aggravating, the production journey would probably deserve more focus. This is America, however, and so synecdochal health crises provide endless content that slowly begins to deepen our collective nightmare.
Before you fret about this being some kind of essential-yet-hopeless liberal docuseries, take a chill pill (as long as you’ve met your deductible). The setup to the show initially does have that familiar “what does it all mean” aesthetic where the host ruminates on the weight of the topic at hand. And it is weighty fodder indeed, so that feels justified to some extent. Yet Weissmann is intentional about making it more than this. He humanizes the dire plights of guests, but isn’t afraid to laugh at the absurdity of it all. There is a really collaborative vibe throughout the series as well, both in the sense of listeners generating story ideas (and donations!) as well as the involvement of many other radio/podcast types. This includes teaming up with 99% Invisible on an episode about the origins of an astronomical drug price, an examination of ER bills with (Vox/NY Times) journalist Sarah Kliff, and a bonus episode where Sally Herships (NPR’s The Indicator) interviews Weissmann about the state of the show after three seasons.
There is some kind of evolution throughout each season that has aired thus far. The show finds its bearings and builds out several macro stories in season 1 that help inform a broader understanding of the more individually focused episodes in season 2. Many of these detail tragic battles with a broken system, but by the end of the second season we switch into actionable territory. Episode 7 of season 2 takes us inside a study that had actors seek treatment during doctor visits in order to learn about what non-medical signals physicians may be missing. Episode 8 journeys to Maple City Healthcare Center in Goshen, Indiana where community centered care drives every decision. This episode made a particular impression on me, not just because I live in Goshen and know MCHC staff and patients (and because I had no idea this was coming when I embarked on this project!) but also because the center isn’t worried about trying to build things to scale for perceived needs of the future. This really honed in on the idea of fitting solutions to the needs of a community as it exists now - focusing on the practical measures individuals can implement when systemic change seems out of reach.
Season three continues to riff on that theme, highlighting courageous individuals who are helping others - in some cases armed with nothing more than personal experience gaming the broken system. And that’s sort of what this show is doing: disassembling the hopelessness of structural change and using narratives to lift up one type of problem at a time. As a millenial who has managed to gracefully navigate and largely avoid the complexity of insurance and billing nightmares, there are many things brought to the surface here that I wouldn’t have thought to look for. Those who have a bit more experience will no doubt revel in the stories of triumph and relate with the sense of outrage here, but An Arm and a Leg is great for folks like me who anticipate an uptick of encounters as the great eternal march of time pushes onward. Though hope may seem in short supply (especially this week!), don’t forget all the good people out there working to fight back the malaise of indifference. To quote from the ‘Christmas in July’ episode near the end of season 3: “There are victories here for us. We can seize them and build on them.”.
Before you fret about this being some kind of essential-yet-hopeless liberal docuseries, take a chill pill (as long as you’ve met your deductible). The setup to the show initially does have that familiar “what does it all mean” aesthetic where the host ruminates on the weight of the topic at hand. And it is weighty fodder indeed, so that feels justified to some extent. Yet Weissmann is intentional about making it more than this. He humanizes the dire plights of guests, but isn’t afraid to laugh at the absurdity of it all. There is a really collaborative vibe throughout the series as well, both in the sense of listeners generating story ideas (and donations!) as well as the involvement of many other radio/podcast types. This includes teaming up with 99% Invisible on an episode about the origins of an astronomical drug price, an examination of ER bills with (Vox/NY Times) journalist Sarah Kliff, and a bonus episode where Sally Herships (NPR’s The Indicator) interviews Weissmann about the state of the show after three seasons.
There is some kind of evolution throughout each season that has aired thus far. The show finds its bearings and builds out several macro stories in season 1 that help inform a broader understanding of the more individually focused episodes in season 2. Many of these detail tragic battles with a broken system, but by the end of the second season we switch into actionable territory. Episode 7 of season 2 takes us inside a study that had actors seek treatment during doctor visits in order to learn about what non-medical signals physicians may be missing. Episode 8 journeys to Maple City Healthcare Center in Goshen, Indiana where community centered care drives every decision. This episode made a particular impression on me, not just because I live in Goshen and know MCHC staff and patients (and because I had no idea this was coming when I embarked on this project!) but also because the center isn’t worried about trying to build things to scale for perceived needs of the future. This really honed in on the idea of fitting solutions to the needs of a community as it exists now - focusing on the practical measures individuals can implement when systemic change seems out of reach.
Season three continues to riff on that theme, highlighting courageous individuals who are helping others - in some cases armed with nothing more than personal experience gaming the broken system. And that’s sort of what this show is doing: disassembling the hopelessness of structural change and using narratives to lift up one type of problem at a time. As a millenial who has managed to gracefully navigate and largely avoid the complexity of insurance and billing nightmares, there are many things brought to the surface here that I wouldn’t have thought to look for. Those who have a bit more experience will no doubt revel in the stories of triumph and relate with the sense of outrage here, but An Arm and a Leg is great for folks like me who anticipate an uptick of encounters as the great eternal march of time pushes onward. Though hope may seem in short supply (especially this week!), don’t forget all the good people out there working to fight back the malaise of indifference. To quote from the ‘Christmas in July’ episode near the end of season 3: “There are victories here for us. We can seize them and build on them.”.
From: Standalone.
Recommended for: Definitely any American adult, and probably any adult from a country with a better health care setup than the U.S. of A.
Drop Schedule: Thursday, Seasonal: Weekly
Average episode length: 25 minutes
Rating: Gotta Have It
THE LIST
This was an excellent way for Bill Simmons to end the first season of BoB 2.0. It feels a little more like an audiobook, staking specific claims about the state of the game via one of it’s all time greats.
Rewatching old movies is a joy - especially those set in a time of rapid technological change. You've Got Mail features a plot line connected by the novelty of an anonymous digital relationship set against the villainy of a bookstore.
Novelty songs have never received a proper critical analysis, and what pray tell is Chris Molanphy apart from a proper analytical critic? The thorough dissection of songs intended to make you laugh is a great marriage of form in this episode that admirably contextualizes Weird Al's towering success in the genre.
This may be a little too close for comfort if you’re quarantined and a bit nervous about authorities patrolling the streets, but I have been thinking about this for weeks. And hey, maybe an elaborate, city-wide WWII scared-straight exercise will be comforting in these somewhat uncertain times.
HONORABLE MENTION
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