ClearHealthCosts is always looking for pitches for stories about how to navigate the healthcare marketplace.
We welcome well-thought-through pitches focusing on saving money (how to get that MRI for $300 and not $3,000), revealing the mysteries of pricing (wait, maybe you should pay cash and not use your insurance?) and helping patients or consumers — or as we like to call them, people — make their way around our complicated healthcare system (ask us about the birthday rule for expecting parents).
Some examples: How much does an abortion cost? From $0 to $3,275
How to save money on fertility meds
How to save money on prescriptions
How to get ADHD medications on time
How much do allergy tests cost?
Tips: We never give medical advice. These are reported pieces about navigating healthcare and saving money. So: It’s not “should you do in-vitro fertilization?” but “how to save money on IVF meds.” Not “should you have an abortion and where should you go?” but “how much does an abortion cost?”
Many pieces have a section at the end on “What you can do” or “Questions to ask.”
Before pitching, look at the blog to see if anything has been written on your topic. If you’re interested in doing a different version of something we’ve already written, tell us why. To see a little more about us, here’s our founder’s 7-minute TED talk.
Stories typically run from 750 to 1,500 words. Rates vary, but usually from $0.20 a word for a lightly reported essay (we really do very few of those) to $0.30-$0.50 a word for a thoroughly reported piece.
To pitch: Please send an email laying out the pitch to jeanne@clearhealthcosts.com. Include a link to at least 2-3 of your clips showing range and breadth, and also related stories if you have any, plus LinkedIn link and/or your portfolio/site. Also please tell us why you’re the right person to write this. If you know of others who have written similar stories, we’re happy to hear about that — and how yours will be better.
Please don’t pitch us on a new version of a story you’ve already written, and please don’t attach a fully written story to your pitch email.
Here’s a great NPR story on how to write a great pitch.
We look forward to hearing from you!
