Avid “First Aid Kit” readers might remember that in the spring, we wrote about a med student named Thomas who wanted a one-page resource guide — and we asked for your help in drafting one.
You guys came through, and Thomas put your contributions to work. He’s got a new draft, and we’ve got a new opportunity for you to weigh in — and help take it to the next level.
Thomas’s project (1.0)
Quick recap: Thomas told us that after hearing our show, he wanted to spread the word about charity care (AKA financial assistance that most hospitals are required by law to provide).
So, Thomas got into contact with Dollar For, a nonprofit that helps people apply to charity care, and worked to distribute more than one thousand of their cards to hospitals around Brooklyn.
But he wanted to know: Did we have a one-page handout of our own, with other under-the-radar resources for people staring down giant medical bills?
We didn’t… but we decided to try making a very rough draft of one, and asked for your input. You shared some great suggestions.
And now… we have more from Thomas.
Thomas’s new and improved one-stop shop
Thomas gathered our suggestions and yours — and turned around a brand-new printable resource guide for patients.
We were delighted, and now we want to share that guide — and get your help with some finishing touches.
Thomas’s new handout includes nine resources — Dollar For is on there of course, along with NeedyMeds, an online directory for programs that could get you a discount on your prescriptions if you qualify.
And this newsletter. And two guides that you pointed us to.
And you’ll notice: Everything’s got a QR code, another of your suggestions.
We love it, and it’s already in action: Thomas told us his school’s clinic already has it posted.
Now here’s where you come in:
Help take it to the next level
Thomas is a med student, not a designer. The current version is functional, but he thinks somebody with graphic design skills could make it even more usable — clearer, more readable, and maybe more eye-catching.
“Somebody with graphic design skills” isn’t us. But maybe it’s you? And there are a few other kinds of help that you may be better-suited to offer than we are.
For instance, Thomas wants to translate this thing into Spanish, Mandarin, and other languages.
And, assuming multiple people are interested in pitching in — which we definitely hope will be true — well, organizing and wrangling a community of volunteers is a skill of its own. Maybe one you’re great at?
And there may be jobs and skills we’re not thinking of. So…
If you’d like to pitch in, please go ahead and fill out this Google form with your name, contact info, and how you’d like to get involved. We’ll share the results with Thomas.
This project is so exciting: Something that anybody can print up and distribute, around the country. We can’t wait to see how it develops.
And a reminder: This newsletter is moving off of Substack!
Luckily, no U-hauls required — this move is virtual.
But we want to give you the heads up that sometime soon — probably in the next week or two — this newsletter will no longer come to you through Substack.
We’ve built a home for it on our new website, bringing all our resources into one place, and — encouraged by your feedback — we’re moving the email-sending operation there too.1
And don’t worry. If you’re subscribed, this email should still come straight to your inbox after the move — just under the sender name “dan@armandalegshow.com.”
To get ready and to make sure your email’s spam filter doesn’t block this newsletter, maybe take a minute to “whitelist” us by adding dan@armandalegshow.com to your contact list.
And if you end up not getting our email anyway… Please reach out to us here.
We’ll still keep our Substack page up for now — and we’ll keep you in the loop throughout this transition.
That’s all from me this Thursday.
— Claire
It streamlines our work, and decreases our reliance on a company we’ve become uneasy with.
So excited about Thomas' new 'Hospital Bill Resource Guide' and the potential opportunity to volunteer!