Big Sisters Do it Better

I am officially a college graduate with a puppy and an ice-cream addiction.

[thesassiestprincess]

A new fun thing I've started doing since losing my Dad and Niece in July; sitting in my car crying for an hour every night after I get from work.

Also threatening to kick God in the nuts

[thesassiestprincess]

Here's the thing, I don't necessarily believe in ghosts, I like the idea of having the opportunity to be a ghost and haunt people.

I could easily be convinced that there is a ghost in this house right now though and also if you told me it was my dad I would believe you and I would try to throat punch a ghost.

Like, bro, you don't get to leave us like that and then come back and harass us. Go find your brother. Go find your granddaughter. Stop slamming and open the damn doors.

[pervocracy]

observations from urgent care

- People who exercise a lot get knee injuries from overdoing it

- People who only exercise occasionally get knee injuries from being unprepared for the exertion

- People who don’t exercise get knee injuries from being out of shape

- Maybe knees just suck

[bequilles]

it me

[nentuaby]

In knees’ defense, the original plan called for four main leg joints to work together. It’s not THEIR fault the foreleg team fucked off to Hollywood to be elbows!

[drpathetique]

I can’t believe how y'all forget the true victim in this - the lower back never asked to be involved in this conflict

[lunetta-suzie-jewel]

observations from massage therapy:

STRETCH

For the love of God and fuck,

STRETCH

And I don’t mean for five minutes before you do “real” exercise. I mean stretching is real exercise, and if you do no other form of exercise, you have to stretch if you want to avoid otherwise avoidable pain.

Bring up youtube, type in “flexibility for beginners,” and pick a video. Don’t worry if you can’t keep pace or aren’t as flexible as the instructor. It’s not about being impressive, it’s about preventative care.

Other things you can do to help:

Stay warm. Soft tissue has a nifty little characteristic called thixotrophy which, aside from being a sweet band name, means they go from a more solid state to a more liquid state under heat and pressure. It’s why massage works at all. This will help keep soft tissue looser and more elastic, which will improve your range of motion. I sleep with heating pads every night and soak in a hot bath once a week and lmty it HELPS.

Drink water. Hydrated muscles are less likely to form adhesions (when individual strands of tissue dry out, get sticky, and basically glue themselves together) which will prevent pain as well as improve ROM. Water will also help flush dislodged scar tissue and metabolic waste out of your body when you pee, which is what you want…that shit aches and/or itches when it settles.

If you can, sleep on your back. (Ignore this if you have sleep-associated breathing problems like apnea or snoring…consult with a doctor about that btw.) Put cushioning under your knees until your lower back feels comfortable, and put cushioning under your neck if it’s not already supported by your pillow. It’s ok if you can’t back-sleep the whole night immediately; just keep trying and you’ll train yourself eventually.

If you MUST sleep on your side, use that neck cushion I mentioned, and put the leg cushioning between your thighs (from knee to pelvis); this takes pressure off the lower back.

If you sleep on your stomach, put that cushioning beneath your pelvis and ankles. Idk what you can do to help your neck aside from attach a face cradle to your mattress tho :\

Get massage regularly, or a reasonable facsimile thereof if that’s not feasible. Soak as much as you can of yourself (whether it’s just your feet or your entire body) in hot water. Use self-massage tools that you pick up in stores. Lay on your stomach and let the cat knead your butt.

CBD oil does nothing for some people and works magic on other people. Experiment on your own discretion and in accordance with your local law.

Get therapy. Emotions have a physiological component (hormones, etc) and they will lodge themselves in soft tissue and cause pain if your emotions are not properly addressed. (One time I was massaging a woman’s arm, and she asked me if it was normal that she was experiencing all her hatred of her ex-husband come bubbling up suddenly. It’s not “normal” but it’s totally possible/expectable.)

Anything you can do to keep your soft tissue warm, loose, and elastic is good. Remember, you don’t want highly-defined muscle tissue if you’re not actively using that muscle…highly defined muscle in resting state mean you’re probably dehydrated, holding tension, and set up for injury. It’s okay if you work out a lot and have “shape” to your body, but you shouldn’t have dramatic curves and edges when you’re just vibin, y'know?

To sum: to do yourself a solid, you must stay liquid ✌🏻

[loislane]

in superman adventures #19, there’s a villain named multi-face who can convincingly disguise himself as anyone, even tricking dna tests and x-ray vision. Superman initially can’t stop him

and the only reason he gets caught is because multiface decides to disguise himself as, of all people, CLARK KENT i’m screaming

[loislane]

why do villains always mess up so badly

[ninja-pyro]

Clark Kent attending Bruce Wayne’s yacht party where Bruce told Clark to wear his clothes and……

[stalker-among-the-stars]

Ta-Da!

Sard borken

[itsalburton]

This bullshit needs to get into the movies, not edgy-grimdark shit

[ghost-cassette]

I especially love the fact that, in many depictions, Bruce Wayne somehow ended up looking similar enough to the one Kryptonian on Earth that they can Parent Trap people

[supreme-leader-stoat]

*Deathstroke bursts into the Legion of Doom headquarters* “Guys, you won’t believe this, but I think Bruce Wayne is Superman!“

[sunshine-tattoo]

today I learned that Clark Kent is sloppy drunk and I am in eternal gratitude for that

[orangebaccarat]

I’ve seen this post go around a couple of times and I’ve never seen anyone add the time that Clark somehow got high.

[wtf-fun-factss]

Scientists estimate there are ~400,000 species of plants on Earth and more than half of them are thought to be edible. However, we as humans only eat about 200 species of plants. – WTF Fun Facts Source: https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2016/01/why-do-we-consume-only-a-tiny-fraction-of-the-world-s-edible-plants

[lavendersucculents]

When you guys have visited potential apartments, what kind of questions did you ask besides the basics like what rent and utilities include?

[dynastylnoire]

Here are questions I didn’t ask but should have: what does the basement look like?

What measures are taken to secure the building ?

Are the walls thin? Brief info of who lives in the building. Are they college kids? People that work through the day? Elderly? Is it a mix? Where does the garbage go?

Can I pay rent bi-weekly? What kind of fuses does the apartment use? (My fuse box is in the basement. If I blow a fuse I have to replace it myself. They screw until the box. All of which I didn’t know until it happend and I was sitting in the dark suddenly)

[audreynical2]

Who do I call for repairs? (If it’s a private rental) Am I allowed to paint the walls? Is there any additional storage? Do you do regular pest control?

[werewolfau-deactivated20180321]

count the outlets, ask about recycling policies, ask if there’s a noise restriction (nothing loud after midnight, everything goes on the weekend, etc)

LAUNDRY FACILITIES Definitely ask about security Whether subletting is allowed (esp if you’re in college and might want to sublet for the summer) If you have a car, whether there’s parking/how much it costs What kind of heating/AC there is Procedure/response time for any maintenance How mail/packages are received/protected from theft (seriously people stealing your packages can be a huge problem) What kind of verification of your salary will they want, and in what circumstances will they accept a guarantor instead? Whether the apartment is furnished

Assuming you are in the middle of looking at/choosing between places: When does the lease start? Are you going to give preference to people based on when they can move in? Whether groups of a certain number of people get preference Really anything about who they prioritize for applications, it can save you a lot of trouble in trying to apply to places you’ll never get into

[gizkasparadise]

not something for asking the realtors, necessarily, but important rights you should be aware of as a tenant:

when and for what reasons are your landlords allowed to enter your home? how much of a notice should they give you before entering?

can the landlord make modifications to your home or apartment without your approval? to what extent?

what are the options and conditions for breaking your lease early if there’s an emergency? (this is ESPECIALLY important for anyone moving to a new state/considerable distance where you are not able to visit the apartment/home before you rent – students get taken advantage of ALL THE TIME with this shit)

if your first or last month at the property is a partial stay (i.e. you move in on july 15th, and rent is typically due on the first) make sure you don’t pay the full first month’s rent before you know the area laws! in many states, you are only legally required to pay for the time you are occupying the property

is renter’s insurance necessary? many apartments want at least 30k coverage, which can run a couple hundred dollars extra per year

are the landlords/property management liable for crimes on the property? for example, if your car was broken into. if not GET RENTER’S INSURANCE

[lmaodies]

-ask if there’s any property upkeep you can do to get a bit off the rent (aka, can they take 100$ off the monthly rent if you maintain the lawns/garden, etc.) 

-ask if there’s been any consistent/frequent trouble with electricity/internet connectivity/cable if you have it

-what KIND of electricity? 

-what kind of heating (hot water/electric)

-how secure is the neighborhood (if you don’t know) 

-ANY PLUMBING ISSUES? check ALL the fucking taps, the showers, EVERYTHING WITH WATER to make sure it all works right. 

[seagodofmagic]

-ANY PLUMBING ISSUES? check ALL the fucking taps, the showers, EVERYTHING WITH WATER to make sure it all works right. 

I CANNOT SECOND THIS ENOUGH.

[remisstoreality]

ALSO

- who last lived here? why did they leave?

[jenniferrpovey]

- Do they charge an “amenities fee” (Around here you can’t avoid them at all now, but some places you might still be able to)

- Do they have a policy on rent increases? (Also check if there’s a legal limit to rent increases in the area).

- Are utilities paid in a separate check or with the rent?

- Are utilities metered or pro-rated (in older buildings it’s common to be charged by square footage and/or number of occupants, which can leave you subsidizing the people who turn the a/c down to 60 in the summer or the heat up to 80 in the winter - you may not be able to avoid this but it’s worth trying).

- Are there any switched circuits in the apartment. Buildings built in the late sixties through the early eighties often have switched circuits. If they do, then with the number of devices used these days you will probably have to have something important on the switched circuit - tape the switch in the on position! (Trust me).

- What are the rules on hanging pictures?

- Who is responsible for paying for and replacing bulbs in permanent fixtures? If it’s you and there’s a fixture with weird/unusual bulbs (globe style, chandelier style, etc) ask where you can buy the bulbs.

- What are the rules about pets? Do they have breed specific restrictions on dogs? Size restrictions on fish tanks? (Believe it or not that’s not uncommon).

[crimeshetyped]

This will be so useful once my lease is up thanks tumblr ☺️🙏🏾

[discofriend]

Harry Potter AU in which Fred and George are in different houses and they steal and wear each others ties whilst doing stupid things in hope of the others house losing points

[thatwriterchickyouknow]

Finally a Fred and George AU that doesn’t make me want to set myself on fire.

[lytefoot]

AU where Fred and George are in different houses and they get their hands on house ties from the other two houses as well. By the end of their first year nobody knows which house either of them is in and just take points off a random house whenever they see a redhead getting up to something.

The confusion runs so deep by the time Ron starts that Snape once takes points off Slytherin for Ron fighting with Malfoy.

[chippish]

There’s a few months in Fred and George’s second year when they successfully convince most of the school that they’re actually quadruplets, one in each house.

[roseverdict]

“George! Why are you wearing a Slytherin tie?”

“What? No, I’m Edward. Y'know, Slytherin’s resident Weasley?”

“Wh…huh???”

“Next you’ll be telling me you don’t know Hubert!”

“?????”

[doctorgeekery]

After this confusing quadruple mess, a conspiracy theory emerges that Fred and George are actually just one person, and there were never any Weasley Twins. To add fuel to this theory, Fred and George make a point to never be seen together (publicly).

When asked about this theory, Fred/George subtly insinuates that he used Polyjuice Potion so that there could be multiple versions of himself at once. This goes around the Hogwarts Rumor Mill like fire. The Weasley family says nothing to dispute it, not even Percy.

[hippocrates460]

Percy makes polyjuice successfully for the first time in his fifth year, when he finally has sufficient motivation. Fred, George, Edward and Hubert walk into the great hall one morning, identical but for their school ties, and the chaos is so great that nobody realizes Percy and Ron are missing.

[sitp-recs]

This post contains the same chaotic energy the twins display and I’m here for it

[fashion-runways]

MAK TUMANG Blue Morpho dress

[assiraphales]

every character brendan fraser played in the 1990s was the himboest himbo to ever himbo

[assiraphales]

the energy this man exuded

[programmerhumour]

Funny how that works

[ferrousferrule]

I am so pleased at how many notes are some version of “I don’t fear the science, I fear the corporations who control it” because that is EXACTLY the attitude you should have. GMOs can save us. Monsanto will kill us.

[brunhiddensmusings]

what people fear about GMO- ‘theyre gonna make frankencarrots that crave human flesh and cause diarrhea ’ what GMO actually is- ‘we made rice crop that is both drought resistant and flood resistant which will prevent about 20% of major famine disasters, also it now makes vitamin A because vitamin A deficiency in poverty stricken areas is a major killer of kids as most vitamin A rich foods dont grow there’ what people SHOULD be upset about- ‘i made all crops sterile so all farmers have to buy the seed from me in perpetuity and i will sue anyone who tries to go back to crops that produce their own seed’

[aniseandspearmint]

^^^ THIS

[flowerinaflame]

[bogleech]

This is the funniest and most thoughtful I’ve ever seen an organization use a meme and it’s good people with good goals who don’t just want your money on top of it

[ms-demeanor]

The Point of Affinity Networks -or- Why picking up groceries for your neighbor is actually useful as a form of direct action

So in the notes and replies and tags of some of my recent posts I’ve been seeing a few people saying “What’s the point of getting groceries for my neighbor if I’m about to lose access to life-saving medical care? Why should I help the terrible old jackass down the street by lending him my tools if he’s just going to vote away my right to access reproductive care?” and.

A few years ago my spouse was setting up a volunteer radio and emergency response group and he started reading a prepper blog that I *hated* because it was taking the concept of community-building and making it Machiavellian. This blog was talking about why you should help out neighbors who you knew to be Mormon because they were likely to have good survival supplies, why you should have your kids volunteer to mow the lawns of the elderly folks at church so that more people knew you and liked your family.

And it just felt so *shitty.* And I ended up ranting to my spouse about it because it was shitty! “It’s, like, weaponizing kindness or something! Just be good people, it’s so fucking weird that you’re trying to get on your neighbor’s good side in case of the apocalypse!”

Guys. Picking up groceries for your neighbor is getting on their good side in case of the apocalypse.

I’ve recently moved to a new neighborhood. I walk my dog here about four times a day.

I have adopted four surrogate mothers in the last two months. There are several elderly white ladies who check in with me about how my husband is doing and talk to me about how cute my dog is.

You know who’s going to be a good person to be friends with if I lose my job, or if I need someone to watch my dog because my husband is hospitalized, or if I need some cash to buy food because it’s the end of the month?

FOUR ELDERLY WHITE LADIES WHO THINK I’M JUST THE SWEETEST THING.

You know who is probably going to have access to prescription medication if I lose my health insurance? FOUR. WEALTHY. ELDERLY. WHITE. LADIES.

And I hate that I have to explain it that way because I didn’t go out and be like “muahahaha, I’ll befriend Bertie and she’ll let me use her air compressor if I’ve got a flat” I went out and was like “Hey I like your rabbit and it’s nice to meet you and that package looks heavy, can I help you carry it inside?” and I was like “Laurel, it’s good to see you, how are the kids; oh Otto needs his meds from the vet, do you want me to go grab them tonight? I’ve got to pick up dog food anyway.”

And look, this is a long con.

Could I flip Diane into lying to her GP to get me an inhaler today? No. But I can walk around the neighborhood with my exclusively black wardrobe and a “defund the police” tee shirt and then maybe those scary Atifas on the teevee don’t look like a faceless horde, they kind of look like Alli - you know, the one with the pink hair and the little white dog - from down the way who crocheted you a potholder because she had some extra yarn.

So here’s a simple set of reasons why it’s a good idea to befriend your neighbors and do shit like offer to walk their dogs, pick up their groceries, water their plants when they’re out of town, or provide emergency childcare:

BURST BUBBLES - I think people are frequently less ideologically isolated than the news likes to make out but nonetheless I look pretty weird to my neighbors and they look pretty weird to me. Offering to do shit like pick up their groceries humanizes you, and therefore people who are like you, to them. Also if you are dealing with elderly folks you MAY be dealing with people whose only source of contact with the outside world right now is Fox News and YouTube and it is MUCH better that they talk to you than that they sit there and watch Hannity for another hour or get into Qanon.

BUILD A SOCIAL SAFETY NET - Look, I couldn’t get Laurel to get me an inhaler right now, but if I knocked on her door with a broken arm she’d drive me to the hospital. That hasn’t been true of most of the places I’ve lived because I haven’t known the neighbors as well. And that is kind of a huge deal that I think a lot of people overlook. YEAH, getting to know your neighbors isn’t going to get your health insurance back but it’s going to make you WAY less stressed spending five hours waiting at the free clinic because Bertie is making sure your dog has food and water and can go for a short walk. “I don’t have a car and I can’t afford an ambulance and the buses aren’t running” - honey, try to make friends with your neighbors. Most neighbors who are even vague, wave-as-you-pass-by-on-the-street neighbors won’t begrudge you a ride to the hospital; someone you’ve picked up groceries for will DEFINITELY drive you to the hospital.

REDUCE THE IRON GRIP OF INDIVIDUALIST CAPITALISM - The HOA here is kind of a giant dick about weeds and yard management and what this means is that I bought a hedge clipper. What this also means is that my new neighbors next door do not need a hedge clipper because as soon as they moved in I was like “hey, welcome, I live next door, it’s great to meet you - if you ever need anything let me know; I’ve got gardening supplies and power tools and stuff or if you need a furniture dolly or anything, just ask. Have some banana bread, and a great day.” Bertie does have an air compressor. She does let people use it if they need to; this means that I do not have to buy an air compressor. You’ve got some free boxes because you just finished moving? Put ‘em out front so that someone else doesn’t have to go buy boxes. Laurel gave me a bag of pears from her tree, I gave a set of dog stairs that my dog hates to Andie, guess where I got a free motherfucking grill?

LEARN AND TEACH COMMUNITY SELF RELIANCE - If Bertie and Laurel and Andie and Diane and Susan know they can call me to come snake their toilets or fix their computers they don’t have to call out for that. Bertie is teaching me about not killing plants and how to garden in Las Vegas, Andie is willing to share her dumbbell set, etc, etc. You know that this sort of thing is really great for? Exchanging numbers with your neighbors. You know why you want your neighbors to have your number? So they don’t call the fucking cops on you for a noise complaint or report you to the HOA because they know you well enough to just call you instead.

RADICALIZE YOUR NEIGHBORS - Look, buddy, they aren’t going to listen to your ideas about a bright, better future if they don’t fucking know you. NONE of these folks are about to go do jail support with me, or host someone who needs a safe place to stay for an abortion, however ALL of them are a lot more open to the idea of mutual aid than they were three months ago and I’ve got one completely fucking flipped on her stance about providing housing to the homeless and she’s stopped calling the cops on people sleeping on benches in the park. Changing people’s minds sucks. It takes forever. It’s shitty, boring, unexciting work that puts you in contact with people you probably disagree with pretty strongly. It feels like you’re not accomplishing anything. But goddamnit if teaching ONE of your neighbors to be compassionate to unhoused people, at least enough to not call the cops on them, works even ONE time and someone doesn’t go to jail one time, or doesn’t get their belongings trashed one time, then you’re doing good fucking work.

So no, friend, picking up groceries for your neighbor isn’t going to save the ACA or protect abortion access - not in any direct, meaningful, noticeable way. But it might save you the cost of an ambulance ride. It might save someone else from getting arrested. Hell, if you teach your neighbors not to call the cops it might keep someone from getting shot. And that’s worth it.

SOME CAVEATS:

Don’t feel bad if you can’t build these kinds of affinity networks or if people don’t respond to you; some neighborhoods just aren’t like that, some people are just standoffish.

Don’t feel bad if you can’t do this kind of thing because of social anxiety or limited mobility. It’s okay, friend, not everybody can go out and meet people.

Don’t feel bad if you can’t do this kind of thing because it is unsafe for you to do so. Some people live among virulent racists, some people’s only neighbors are raging homophobes. Don’t endanger yourself, don’t feel bad for keeping yourself and your family safe if reaching out to your neighbors makes you a target.

Don’t feel bad if you can’t do this for any reason. It’s difficult and often unpleasant and you’re not obligated to, this post isn’t to guilt-trip anybody into going out to radicalize their neighbors, it’s an explanation of why small instances of interpersonal action can be a useful longterm strategy and shouldn’t be handwaved as pie-in-the-sky UwU lefty pipedreams.

[doomhamster]

Also, if YOU are relatively privileged, don’t underestimate this as a way to help others on a small scale. Most people don’t like to ask help of strangers, and a lot of minority folks are justifiably wary of doing so, especially when it means they may have to reveal personal things… but if it’s someone they’ve talked to before, even just to chat about dogs or the weather or the new houses they’re putting up nearby, the threshold is that much lower.

[ms-demeanor]

GOOD ADDITION.

Make yourself know as the not-scary, approachable, ask-for-helpable person.

And as a general reminder - if you live someplace that ICE conducts raids a really excellent way to help out the people who that might threaten is to run errands for them so they don’t have to run the risk of getting pulled over or targeted.

[ethicalmemes]

An alien abduction #EthicalMemes

[buzzfeedtasty]

An Intro To Indian Dishes, by BuzzFeed India

[lebeaunoiseur]

Food Network is shook!

[ablogtitty-deactivated20181212]

Give this girl her own show!!!

[queersamus]

“because mom said so” is literally how i learned to cook i’m screaming

[8foldhero-deactivated20181214]

“you don’t have that kind of time, and are secretly wishing for this emotional release” M O O D

[verfound]

If this ever pops up on the dash and I don’t reblog, just assume I’ve died.  🖤🖤🖤

[mango-pickle]

SHRISHTI DOES HAVE HER OWN SHOW. IT’S CALLED BEHENSPLAINING. AND IT’S ON NETFLIX AND YOUTUBE.

[cipher-dorito]

Yeahh Shrishti and Kusha review netflix films and shows it’s awesome!

[official-lucifers-child]

*singsong* i need to watch this right this second

[crtter]

Raccoon dogs are incredibly cute creatures in general but I think one of their best traits is how different they look with their winter coats vs their summer coats

They go from “yeah that looks like a canid alright”

To “not when I shift into maximum FLUFF”

[golgibodies]

just a reminder if you’re bored you can always answer some simple trivia and give rice to people in need.

and it’s absolutely free

http://freerice.com/

[ricco4]

We used to sit for hours in middle school and do this. That’s cool it’s still up and running.

[pinksthetics]

Yo i was just wondering the other day if this is still a thing

[franscribe]

Has an app. A bunch of categories and difficult levels. I just searched ‘UN freerice’ in the Play store. You can also make groups to compete with friends 😊

[worldsingers]

Reminder that FreeRice operates on ad revenue! If you are using the website, make sure your adblockers are disabled, or no revenue will be generated from your answered questions!

Here are the two URLs linked in that screenshot:

World Food Programme

Learn more about how the WFP is funded

[actualrulerofdead]

If you’re a person who enjoys trivia and has limited funds, this is a wonderful way to help. 

It might be small, but every grain helps!

[luchia13]

hey guys psa regarding hospital bills

don’t just pay it. do not automatically pay the hospital bill when you receive it. call your health insurance provider and POLITELY say, “excuse me, i just received a bill for $1200 for my hospital visit/ER visit/etc., is that the correct amount i’m supposed to pay?” because hospitals bill you before your health insurance and they will take your money no matter how the amount due may change based on your health insurance looking at it. 90% of the time, if your health insurance is in any way involved in the payment of that bill, you do not have to pay as much as the hospital is billing you for. call your health insurance provider first, and POLITELY request clarification, always remember that the person you are talking to is human and this is just their job, and then you will very likely find out you actually only owe $500.

don’t shout at anyone about it, don’t get mad, just understand that this is The Way Things Are right now and call your health insurance provider before paying the bill your hospital just sent you. there’s a chance the hospital bill might be correct, true, but call your health insurance provider.

[smallercomfort]

THIS IS SUPER IMPORTANT. after my car accident last year the hospital billed me ~$8000. They sent me letters asking me to pay, and I called them back saying my insurance was processing the claim. This is also what I told the collection agency when they kept calling me about the $1000 emergency room fee (billed separately from the hospital fee, mind you). Once everything got straightened out, all I was actually liable for was my $200 emergency copay.

[thevelvetdevil]

!!!!!!! things my ass didn’t know !!!!!!!!

[anamatics]

Yes this is a life lesson my adulting ass didn’t know I needed and I’m out 80 bucks for an anti-nausea pill. 😒😒😒😒😒

[elodieunderglass]

Reblogging for American friends.

Also, it is important [for people receiving medical care in the USA] to carefully read all of the items on the medical bill and look for errors and overcharges. I know that the normal feelings of avoidance and dread can make it hard to look at scary hospital bills, and that’s okay! But as the OP mentions, private orgs like hospitals don’t monitor overpayment of bills - they are motivated to charge you extra - and it is basically impossible to get your money back. Read the bill carefully and make sure that the charges are correct, using the links below for help if you need. If they haven’t sent you an itemized list, you can ask for one. Sometimes you will be charged extra for items or treatment you didn’t receive. Most people don’t know that you can dispute medical bills! But in 2009, Consumer Reports stated that 8 out of 10 medical bills scrutinized by a watchdog had errors, and generally you are not obligated to pay for someone else’s error.

You may be charged for using medication that you actually brought into the hospital with you - that’s easy to dispute! You may be charged for the consumables used during your stay such as sheets, gloves, gowns, etc - the hospital should actually cover that under its running budget. You may be charged for a brand name drug if the generic was available for cheaper - the links below explain how and when you can dispute this. You may be charged a surprisingly expensive “oral administration fee” (where a nurse puts pills for you to take in a little clean paper cup and then hands it to you) but that’s worth disputing if you were actually able to take the pill out of a bottle and put it in your own mouth. And so on.

8 Things You Should Know About Challenging a Medical Bill (FORBES) (includes links to sites that help you calculate how much a procedure/treatment usually costs in your area, if the costs seem super high)

7 Tips for Fighting and Paying A Huge Medical Bill (FORBES) This explains briefly how to negotiate costs, and payment plans.

10 Common Medical Billing Overcharges You Can Prevent (Bill Advocates) A breakdown of errors and overcharges to double check.

Check medical bills for errors: Overcharges are fairly common, and correcting them can save you thousands of dollars (Consumer Reports) More of the same with links to some groups.