istalkedfandoms

I’ll start.

SCP-173: Hi, welcome to Chilli’s!

Researcher: Let me see what you have!

Abel: A KNIFE!

049: 1-173 it’s not you think-

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.

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.

so uh, tumblr is running ads for an anti-psychiatry group run by the church of scientology

Warning guys, CCHR is a front for the “church” of Scientology. Don’t click on this ad, don’t give them any traffic.

me: for leah remini to finally take down the church of scientology and for her to end david miscavige with her bare hands.

someone: …

The Psychology of Cults

Cult leaders, as well as some terrorist group leaders, use specific methods of psychological manipulation to keep their followers loyal and compliant. Here are a few examples of what these leaders do to keep their cult members faithful.

Depluralization This is the process where cult members are made to cut off their former ties and afflictions. Scientology is famous for isolating their members from the outside world and cutting ties with relatives and friends who openly denounce the “religion.” Scientologists have gone as far as stalking, harassing, and defaming outsiders who may threaten a member’s place within the cult. 

Self-deindividuation This method strips away a person’s personal identity. One way cult leaders do this is by making their members dress in a completely new way, many times exactly alike, to further take away their sense of individualization. Marshall Applewhite, the leader of Heaven’s Gate, made his followers dress in the same style of black tracksuits and Nikes. He also made them shave their heads. Soon the member’s only identity belongs inside of the cult, and they can no longer relate to the outside world.

Dehumanization In this process cult or terrorist group leaders attribute only negative characteristics to their perceived enemies and will refer to them as non-human entities such as animals, vermin, filth, etc., to help make it easier for members to engage in criminal activities against their enemies. Scientologists often have referred to their “enemies” as “suppressive persons.”

Demonization This is the social psychological conditioning process where group members become convinced that their enemies are in league with the devil and are “out to get them.” Thus, they need to engage in preemptive strikes in order to keep the safety of their cult or group intact.

Shame and Humiliation Terrorist groups and violent cults will use shame and humiliation (which increases the likelihood of violence and crime, especially in males) to coerce their followers to commit aggressive and violent acts against the cult’s enemies. The Japanese cult, Aum Shinrikyo, regularly used shame and humiliation in rituals on their followers.

Ralsei: That’s not true! Not with:

Lancer: Friendship!

Kris: Harmony.

Susie: Incredible violence.