Fighting for the Right to Help
It’s illegal to advise someone who’s being sued for medical debt, unless you're a lawyer. Yep, really. Even in its most basic form (like helping people fill out a checklist) it’s considered the “unlicensed practice of law.” And it’s a crime. As in, you could go to jail.
So some New Yorkers are suing to get that changed.
The non-profit Upsolve wants to help people represent themselves in court when they’re being sued over debt. Their plan is to train people like pastors, social workers, and librarians and others to help people others know their rights. And iIn the Bronx, Reverend John Udo-Okon is one of those volunteers, ready to help.
We meet the CEO of Upsolve and Reverend John to talk about their work – and why they’re suing the state of New York.
Here’s a transcript of the episode.
Subscribe to our newsletter, First Aid Kit.
Send your stories and questions: https://armandalegshow.com/contact/ or call 724 ARM-N-LEG
And of course we’d love for you to support this show.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
More episodes from An Arm and a Leg
The best video about health insurance, ever
A couple months ago, we started getting messages from listeners telling us: you gotta watch this video.
It’s a thirty minute YouTube video from a creator named Brian David Gilbert, and it’s …
Health insurance post-Roe, and a grassroots network of abortion funds
Since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, abortion has been banned in more than a dozen states. As you choose your insurance plan for next year, you might be wondering: How does that …
A listener asks: Could NOT having insurance be a better deal?
It’s open enrollment for 2023 health insurance for lots of folks — a time when you might find yourself asking: what good is health insurance anyway?
…
Quick update from Arm and a Leg HQ
Hey there,
You may have noticed, we've been keeping a slower pace for the last few months — publishing every three weeks instead of every two — since Dan recovered from COVID.
And …
California plans to make its own insulin and sell it super-cheap. Really.
This year, the state of California put up $100 million to produce its own insulin, and sell it for cheap. How’s it going to work? (Is it going to …
Congress fixed (a piece of) Medicare. It only took a few decades.
Lots of seniors have to pay thousands of dollars for drugs—even tens of thousands—or do without life-saving medicine. That’s finally going to change.
How you can listen to this podcast
You can listen to episodes right here on the website, or if you prefer, in a podcast app. Listening in an app makes it easier to keep track of what you’ve already heard, listen without using your data plan and many other conveniences.