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‘An Arm and a Leg’: Need Surgery to Save Your Life? Tips for Getting Insurance to Pay

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Laurie Todd calls herself the “Insurance Warrior.” She helps people get their health insurance companies to pay for treatment and has written books sharing her knowledge.

Hers is a wealth of knowledge that was hard-won. In 2005, Todd was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer. Although she found a doctor who could treat it, her health insurance said it wouldn’t be covered. But Todd didn’t accept that refusal and got her insurance company to pay for a lifesaving surgery.

Over the next 15 years, Todd honed her insurance-slaying powers. She has fought — and won — more than 200 insurance appeals on behalf of patients, she said.

Listen to the episode to hear some of her time-tested strategies.

Here’s a transcript of the episode.

“An Arm and a Leg” is a co-production of KHN and Public Road Productions.

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