Spirited Mama

Living a SPIRITED life filled with wanderlust, emotions and everything in between

Month: January 2019

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Bottoms up with Pampers Baby Dry, Air Magic

**Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post. The new Pampers Baby Dry nappies were sent to us to review. However, the views and opinions expressed are my own. **

We’ve always used Pampers nappies. My eldest son, now 9 years old, was raised on Pampers nappies. When we were preparing for our youngest son, he just turned 2 years, we knew that with juggling two kids there was no time for trial runs. We would stick to what we knew worked best when Joshua was a baby. There was no time for trial and error. We stocked up on Pampers nappies and I am happy to report that we still only use Pampers nappies.

Bottoms up with Pampers

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Noah sampling the new Pampers Baby Dry nappy

Featured here is my “bum model” or as he refers to himself “bum mondel” 🙂 First impression was that the nappy stayed put on a wriggly toddler, thanks to a new improved design for Anti-leakage barriers. A big plus is that the size we are currently using is the size we still use in the new nappy. It just fits the “bottom” better. My model couldn’t be phased as he is way to enticed with the new exterior finishes and points out which animals are displayed. Technically, you could be teaching your child whilst simply doing a nappy / diaper change. #parentingwin

Pampers introduces new ‘Baby Dry’ – the first and only nappy with 2 Air channels

Pampers is constantly developing new ways to bring the best possible nappies to parents and baby, which is why they are launching the new Pampers Baby-Dry #PampersAirMagic with “2 Air channels” to allow air flow directly to your baby’s bum, for breathable dryness. #PampersBabyDry has been specially designed to distribute wetness evenly from front the back across nappy and lock it away even better allowing your baby to enjoy up to 12 hours of dryness. Pampers nappies are thus less bulky and don’t sag, providing great fit and more freedom of movement for your baby.

In all our years of using Pampers, I’ve never had to worry about nappy rash, leaks or night changing caused by the nappy. I would literally put a nappy on after bath time, normally around 7pm. First nappy change is anywhere between 6am to sometimes 10 am.

As we all know these days as soon as a product is changed it no longer works as well as it used to. In fact, it very seldom performs better than it’s predecessor.

Pampers has established a new standard of excellence with the launch of #PampersAirMagic #PampersAirMagicMoment Air Channel in their Pampers Baby-Dry range.

I am here to tell you it works better than it’s previous version. No funny smell, no heavy nappy that my child is tripping over the weight of a full nappy; and a major bonus – even when there were soft poo’s the nappy worked better than I expected. This has been tried an tested with my bum model for round two of parenting.

No parent needs to be sleep deprived unnecessarily because of a “wet” nappy

Imagine you had to sleep with a wet bottom. I bet you’ll wake up too… The Air channels are designed for air to flow freely inside the nappy.  The Air channels provide your baby with breathable dryness. And parents like you understand the importance of airflow directly to baby’s skin as hot and moist skin can cause rashes.

The innovation provides air channels directly to your baby’s bottom for breathable dryness which allows for an undisturbed night of sleep.

Premium Care vs Baby Dry Air Magic

Compared to the Pampers Premium Care we normally use, the new Baby Dry nappy is also soft and has the stretchy sides. I would like the sides to be a little longer though, to give the sticky part something extra to grip on. But after testing the Baby Dry, it seems to hold in place throughout wearing either way. Another plus is the Baby Dry comes up way more in the baby’s back than the Premium Care does.

PSA: New parents – You are going to need this extra coverage for those monster poops that run all the way up the baby’s back…TMI, but parents out there can back me on this!

At this stage, only the smaller sizes on the Baby Dry have the wetness indicator, whereas the Premium Care has the indicator on all sizes.

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Are you excited to try the new Pampers Baby Dry nappy?

Here’s what to look forward to with the new Pampers Baby Dry nappy:

  • Air channels – 2 Air-channels that ensure baby’s bottom is dry and less damp
  • Anti-Leakage Barriers – Provides great fit to help prevent leaks
  • Absorbent Micro Pearls – An inner layer with Micropearls that are able to absorb up to 30x of its own weight and help lock away wetness for up to 12 hours
  • Dry layer – Absorbs wetness and keeping it away from baby’s skin
  • Baby Lotion – Helps protect babies skin from rashes
  • New design – Our nappies also have new interior & exterior designs.
  • Wetness indicator on small sizes – Turns blue when the baby wets his nappy

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The Pampers Baby Dry product name replaces the previous Active Baby Dry name.  The new packing is clearly marked with the “Air Channels” symbol. There is a slight difference in the weight ranges so be sure to check that you purchase the correct size according to your baby’s weight. We still use size 5 and like I mentioned previously, the new Baby Dry fits the bottom better.         

The nappies retail for around R230, across all major SA retailers. For now it’s only the sizes 4 – 6, but sizes 1-3 will also be introduced into the market in the coming months.

Bottoms up!

Spirited Mama

x

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#PampersAirMagic

#PampersAirMagicMoment

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LiveLifeWell with Wellness Warehouse & Tonic and Tiaras… part 6 + WIN

**Disclaimer – Chanene, from Tonic and Tiaras received a gift card to purchase any item on her wish list from Wellness Warehouse. The views and opinions expressed are Chanene’s own. Photo credit go to Chanene, all images supplied by her 🙂 **

I decided to feature a series of Wellness posts to find out how other moms #LiveLifeWell The purpose of this series is to enlighten readers and show you how small changes can yield big results for you and your family too.

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Part 6 – LiveLifeWell with Wellness Warehouse & Tonic and Tiaras

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Chanene, aka Ms Chanaynay and her girls

1. The woman behind Tonic and Tiaras – meet Chanene Ablett

My name is Chanene I am a mom of two who blogs over at Tonic and Tiaras. I love puns and in general love life. Whilst I do not always get it right I try hard. Whilst my family and some friends do not think I am that funny I think I am hilarious. J My coping mechanism is humour and I hope to be able to make to just one person smile a day.

My journey began when I realised that the term ‘wellness’ encompasses so many things. Wellness had never really been a priority of mine, but that all changed after I had children. Shortly after my girls came along, I had a health scare.

It was after the health scare when I first became interested in the Wellness arena. I had this need to find the perfect recipe of vitamins and food for myself, my children and my husband. Four different individuals but one solution. One that was hopefully not going to cost a fortune either.

There I was searching for answers, online of course. However, this, in fact, just gave me more questions, and the need for more answers.

2. Why you choose to #livelifewell

My Wellness quest begins with Wellness Warehouse.

In my wellness quest, the topics that I have researched on numerous occasions are food and vitamins. I believe that we need to supplement our nutrients as we cannot always go the organic and grass-fed vegetable route. My pitch to Wellness Warehouse was that I would use the voucher to sample some current trends in the health and wellness sector that could help my whole family simultaneously.

3. Share with us what you bought at Wellness Warehouse

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Vitamin Nay-sayers

I would take my mission seriously as I did not want to pay for an expensive wee, as some people will eye roll when it comes to the subject of vitamins.

As my girls have grown older, they are not with me every second so the control of all things sweet and decadent is really in their 5 and 7 year-old hands. I struggle as a grown up when it comes to making the right choices so after some intense discussion with my lovely Wellness Warehouse representative, I chose the following products in my pursuit of what is new on the shelves and how it can help me and my family on our wellness journey.

Stop, deliberate and listen

After much deliberation, I went with the Collagen Complex from Nutrilife. Collagen was on my radar for a while and after reading FitLikeMummy’s post on her experience and then confirming with the Store manager, yip it’s still going strong. It’s still on top of the purchase list for most people entering their store. I chose the powder so that I can incorporate it into smoothies and cereals.  From chatting around with others seeking wellness, one of the biggest success stories was shared with me by a fellow parent. She used it on her husband’s Rheumatoid Arthritis and has never looked back.

Snacks that are in store

With the rest of my spending I looked at what was currently trending on the snack food front for children and what was newish in store:

I opted for the Organic Corn Chips. This one was a no brainer cos I love me some nachos and if it’s organic I feel like what a mom win.

Frozen Organic Ice pockets. I am quite sad that I didn’t get myself one to taste test because there was no sharing with my girls.

We tried the Red Lentils Snack too. This is the puffed lentil chip. Whilst Miss K was not a fan, Miss T enjoyed them but in small quantities which for me helps as it also stops over-snacking.

Coconut chips were next. Did my girls and I enjoy them? Keep a lookout for my social media. The same to be said for the vegan biltong. Yes – that’s a real thing!

As for the sleep aid, I am still reviewing this. My oldest struggles a little and I want to try it out for myself before I give it to her.

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The best find, and it really was a selfish one, was the Irene’s Gourmet Eastern Delight and the raw Kimchi. Due to struggling with my gut health I am always on the lookout in this department. With Kimchi popping up constantly in my research I was not letting this one get away. I love pickles and all things fermented so was this a winner! Yes, yes it was me for me.

Some extra trends I have embraced:

When I initially pitched, another trend was turmeric and green tea capsules. I currently take those two and haven’t stopped hence the reason for me not purchasing them on this trip.

I have been down the Kefir route and during this time I failed in getting my girls to drink it however I have many friends who have perfected the Kefir shot for themselves and their family. If Kefir is on your radar to try, they do stock it. One to the best hacks I was given on the kefir maintenance was to put it in a muslin cloth and then it’s a matter of just popping it into the next jar of fresh milk, instead of the constant cleaning and thinking.

Where to find Chanene:

Facebook: @TonicAndTiaras

Twitter: @mschanaynay

Instagram: @tonic_and_tiaras

Blog – www.tonicandtiaras.co.za

Win a R500 gift card with Wellness Warehouse & Tonic and Tiaras. Follow the link below

 

Spirited Mama

x

T’s & C’s apply

In case you missed it:

Part 1 – LiveLifeWell with Wellness Warehouse & Spirited Mama

Part 2 – LiveLifeWell with Wellness Warehouse & High Heels and Fairy Tales

Part 3 – Back to school snacks to LiveLifeWell with Wellness Warehouse & Mammachef Jozi

Part 4 – Smoothie bowl to LiveLifeWell with Life’s A Treat & Wellness Warehouse

Part 5 – Treating yourself to LiveLifeWell with Wellness Warehouse & Mel’s Postbox

NB! Remember to subscribe to my blog to catch the other parts and giveaways in this series.

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Treating yourself to Live Life Well with Wellness Warehouse & Mel’s Postbox… Part 5 + Win

**Disclaimer – Melissa, from Mel’s Postbox, received a gift card to purchase any item on her wish list from Wellness Warehouse. The views and opinions expressed are Melissa’s own. Photo credit go to Melissa, all images supplied by her 🙂 **

I decided to feature a series of Wellness posts to find out how other moms #LiveLifeWell The purpose of this series is to enlighten readers and show you how small changes can yield big results for you and your family too.

Part 5 – LiveLifeWell with Wellness Warehouse & Mel’s Postbox

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Melissa Javan

 

1. The woman behind Mel’s Postbox – meet Melissa

I’m Melissa Javan, a mom of a three year old girl and I’m married to a musician. Although I’m a Writer by trade and I do content marketing. As a hobby I blog about personal finance and motherhood. I started blogging when my baby was six months old, as a way to find myself again. In the process, I’ve learned how to live intentionally and I get the opportunity to talk to other moms (also bloggers) on things like health, parenthood and sisterhood.

2. Why you choose to #livelifewell

I found that I spend a lot of money on take outs while being at work. This was an unhealthy way of living, so I’ve decided to plan my lunches at home and bring lunch and snacks from home. I’m on a mission to become debt free so that I can save more money for my child’s future, for example.

I also want my little girl to eat healthy snacks (she’s forever asking for sweeties), that’s why I’m opting to finding healthier options.

My last reason is of course the fact that our health is our wealth. Husband works during the night and he’s always snacking too.

 

3. Share with us what you bought at Wellness Warehouse

I bought a lot of healthy snacks like quinoa chips (yummy), mixed nuts, dried fruit and snacks called nibbles. I’m a big chips lover, so the quinoa chips is a healthier version. It’s tasty and reminds me a little of popcorn too. Most of the other snacks are for my daughter and husband. My daughter loves asking for “sweeties”, then I give her dried fruit instead.

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Where to find Melissa:

Blog: www.melissajavan.co.za

Twitter: @melissa_nel

Instagram: @melissajavan

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MelsPostbox/

Win a R500 gift card with Wellness Warehouse & Mel’s Postbox. Follow the link below

 

Spirited Mama

x

T’s & C’s apply

In case you missed it:

Part 1 – LiveLifeWell with Wellness Warehouse & Spirited Mama

Part 2 – LiveLifeWell with Wellness Warehouse & High Heels and Fairy Tales

Part 3 – Back to school snacks to LiveLifeWell with Wellness Warehouse & Mammachef Jozi

Part 4 – Smoothie bowl to LiveLifeWell with Life’s A Treat & Wellness Warehouse

NB! Remember to subscribe to my blog to catch the other parts and giveaways in this series.

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Smoothie bowl to Live Life Well with Life’s A Treat & Wellness Warehouse… Part 4 + Win

**Disclaimer – Puveshree, from Life’s A Treat, received a gift card to purchase any item on her wish list from Wellness Warehouse. The views and opinions expressed are Puveshree’s own. Photo credits go to Puveshree too as all images were supplied by her 🙂 **

I decided to feature a series of Wellness posts to find out how other moms #LiveLifeWell The purpose of this series is to enlighten readers and show you how small changes can yield big results for you and your family too.

Part 4 – LiveLifeWell with Wellness Warehouse & Life’s A Treat

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Puveshree from Life’s A Treat

1. The woman behind Life’s A Treat – meet Puveshree

My name is Puveshree and I live in Johannesburg with my dear husband, precious little girl and 2 dogs. I have a full time job in corporate and 2 blogs.
Life’s A Treat is a my main blog and bloomed around me overcoming health conditions like gestational diabetes, PCOS and gall stones. I had to take charge of my health and had a passion to empower other women to do the same. I’ve always loved food and travelling, but most of all being a mom so the blog bloomed into a lifestyle, food and parenting blog.

2. Why you choose to #livelifewell

I wasn’t always healthy. In fact, as a teenager and young adult I ate really badly and was constantly on a diet or skipped meals in the hope of losing weight. I constantly complained of being tired and having digestive issues like bloating, cramps and all sorts. I eventually was diagnosed with IBS and developed gestational diabetes while pregnant. At this stage, I knew that changes needed to be made so I can be the best me for myself, my husband and my daughter.
Gradually, I realised I had to change my destructive ways, understand where my food came from and my journey into veganism started. I learnt to cook and started eating whole foods mainly vegetables and found I was falling in love with food, life, and most important of all, myself. My taste buds were transformed and I started craving the healthier meals. The afternoon energy slump was eliminated, binge eating went out the window and I kicked my sugar addiction. All that came from giving my body what it needs! It’s such a good feeling.

3. Share with us what you bought at Wellness Warehouse

My voucher from Wellness Warehouse served me very well and I have estimated that these ingredients will take me through at least 10 to 12 smoothie bowls which is my perfect breakfast packed with superfoods and nutritional value. Below are the items I purchased:
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Products purchased at Wellness Warehouse

  • Cravings Bountiful Dreams – This healthier version of a biscuit ticks all the boxes. Not too sweet with the perfect texture for a coconut biscuit. The chocolate flavour comes through in the right amount. It is vegan and gluten free.
  • Biona Date Syrup – Made from certified organic dates. This syrupy goodness is perfect in smoothies bowls, on pancakes and waffles.
  • Nature’s Charm Coconut Chocolate Fudge Sauce – This is a vegan sauce free from soy and gluten. Made from raw cacao powder and coconut milk.This sauce bloomed with each mouthful of the smoothie bowl I made. It is so versatile and can be used as a chocolatey topping on smoothies, in icecream for that chocolate ripple taste and has toppings to desserts.
  • Raspberry powder – Freeze dried raspberries blended to form the perfect powder. Freeze drying ensures maximum nutrients are retained. This powder is not only a beautiful shade of crimson but packs the ideal level of tartness to balance a sweet dish. Perfect for smoothies, acai bowls and toppings on desserts.
  • Hemp Seeds – Hemp seeds are rich in healthy fats and essential fatty acids. They are also a great protein source and contain high amounts of vitamin E, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, magnesium, sulfur, calcium, iron and zinc. Ideal on smoothie bowls, salads and sprinkled on cooked meals.
Using the above ingredients and frozen fruit I made a raspberry and chocolate ripple banana smoothie bowl (some people call it a nicecream bowl), its dairy and refined sugar free.
Perfect for those mornings when you need a boost of nutrition and energy.
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“nicecream” Smoothie bowl by Life’s A Treat

 

Here is the recipe for the smoothie bowl:
1 cup frozen banana
Quarter cup coconut water 
1 tsp date syrup
Blend until ice-cream texture forms.
Top with biscuit, chocolate fudge sauce, raspberry powder and hemp seeds.
Happy smoothie making.
 
I will be putting up more recipes on the blog using the above ingredients.

Where to find Life’s A Treat:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifesatreat_sa_blog

A new page to follow: https://www.instagram.com/jhb_vegan_kitchen

Blog Website: www.lifesatreat.co.za

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lifesatreat

Win with Wellness Warehouse & Life’s A Treat. Follow the link below

 

Spirited Mama

x

T’s & C’s apply

In case you missed it:

Part 1 – LiveLifeWell with Wellness Warehouse & Spirited Mama

Part 2 – LiveLifeWell with Wellness Warehouse & High Heels and Fairy Tales

Part 3 – Back to school snacks to LiveLifeWell with Wellness Warehouse & MammaChef Jozi

NB! Remember to subscribe to my blog to catch the other parts and giveaways in this series.

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Back to school snacks to Live Life Well with Wellness Warehouse & MammaChefJozi… Part 3 + Win

**Disclaimer – Jeanne-Riette, from MammaChefJozi, received a gift card to purchase any item on her wish list from Wellness Warehouse. The views and opinions expressed are Jeanne-Riette’s own. Photo credits go to Jeanne-Riette too as all images were supplied by her 🙂 **

I decided to feature a series of Wellness posts to find out how other moms #LiveLifeWell The purpose of this series is to enlighten readers and show you how small changes can yield big results for you and your family too.

Part 3 – LiveLifeWell with Wellness Warehouse & MammaChef Jozi

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MammaChef Jozi – Jeanne-Riette

1. The woman behind MammaChef Jozi – meet Jeanne-Riette

MammaChef Jozi is a blog that started around a table and it revolves mostly about what’s on the table, i.e. the food, the treats, and of course the wine.
It’s also about who’s around the table, the stories that are told around the table and often even about what we do to put food on the table.
Sometimes it’s about what makes you want to bang your head on the table and even occasionally, dancing for joy on the table!
In short, it’s family, food and feels!

2. Why you choose to #livelifewell

My food philosophy is really very simple. I believe in cooking healthy, uncomplicated meals with fresh ingredients. I choose to #LiveLifeWell in all aspects of life, looking after our physical, emotional and spiritual well-being, doing our bit for the environment and doing good where and when we can.
Obviously this all sounds very idealistic and life does tend to happen. Sometimes just getting through the day and ending it off with a warm plate of food and a glass of wine is enough!

3. Share with us what you bought at Wellness Warehouse

Wellness Warehouse makes it easy to #LiveLifeWell with their wonderful variety of products for eating and lifestyle.
With a new school year on the horizon, I decided to focus on healthy snacks for school. I have been experimenting with different kinds of “energy balls” for a while now and the kids absolutely love them!
What’s great about these is that they’re affordable to make, I know exactly what has gone into them, making them is a fun activity for the boys and I and you can really use your imagination and combine all kinds of ingredients!
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What I bought at Wellness Warehouse

My voucher from WW really went a long way! I bought:
Steel cut oats
Dates
Almond butter
Chia seeds
Flax seeds
Raw almonds
Dried cranberries
Raw honey and
Wazoogles Superfood Powder (which I am a little obsessed with, I got two different ones)
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Wazoogles Superfoods

From this I will be making at least three different types of energy balls, which I will be posting on the blog leading up to school starting on 16 January 2019! On the menu are Cranberry, Vanilla and Nut balls, Chocolate Brownie balls and some Almond Date balls. I can pop them in the freezer in the meantime and when needed, pack them in the lunchbox with some fruit and rice cakes, egg wraps or a sandwich.

Where to find MammaChef Jozi:

Blog: https://www.mammachefjozi.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mammachefjozi

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mammachefjozi

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/mammachefjozi

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/mammachefjozi

Win with Wellness Warehouse & MammaChefJozi. Follow the link below

 

Spirited Mama

x

T’s & C’s apply

In case you missed it:

Part 1 – LiveLifeWell with Wellness Warehouse & Spirited Mama

Part 2 – LiveLifeWell with Wellness Warehouse & High Heels and Fairy Tales

NB! Remember to subscribe to my blog to catch the other parts and giveaways in this series.

 

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Medical Aids…what THEY don’t tell you… Part 1

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed are MY own. This is NOT a sponsored post. I am in NO way referring to any one medical aid. The aim of my post is to shed some light on the terminology referred to by medical aids and/or medical professionals and to hopefully help YOU avoid going through unnecessary drama in case you have to deal with your medical aid.

With a new year brings a healthy new balance of medical aid funds 🙂 If you have kids, you will understand how towards the end of every year you use your funds cautiously, to ensure that you are covered right up until 31 December!

Medical Aids

We JUST can’t live without it. Well, my family can’t. We have two kids. Albeit, they are NOT sickly/unhealthy, we have had our fair share or trips to the Emergency Room and being admitted to hospital. We have a comprehensive plan that cost quite a bit every month. It is becoming more prevalent that people are seeking out only hospital plans as opposed to a full comprehensive plan.

For me, the pro’s outweigh the con’s when it comes to a full comprehensive plan. I heard people saying, “save the monthly premium that you would give to the medical aid”. In my experience, even if we saved up a full year’s premiums, we would still NOT have enough money to cover everything that the medical does. Also, none of the people who say this actually have a savings plan as they advise…

I get that life happens and you might save the first month or three, but  then other expenses creep in and you suddenly use “that saving” towards something else. And before you know it, the year is gone. What have you actually saved?

Medical aid is my family’s perk!

What your medical aid doesn’t tell you

Do you know what a PMB is? PMB=Prescribed minimum benefit. That means that YOU are entitled to receive the necessary medical attention and the medical aid SHOULD pay for it as long as your treating doctor deems the diagnosis as a PMB. Every medical aid has a PMB list. This list should be readily available to members on their websites or sent to members upon request. Do you know what YOU are eligible for under PMBs? READ THE FINE PRINT!

Some doctors will motivate a diagnosis and others won’t. The gist of the matter is that medical aids are slightly more inclined to pay for your expenses should your doctor motivate certain procedures and/or medication.

Co-payments for medical procedures

Do you just pay or do you question WHY you have a co-payment? Fact is that I have been told I needed to pay and then in fact it was NOT the case. Refer back to getting your doctor to motivate a procedure and/or medication. Do not just pay the co-payment. Question them. You are entitled to an explanation as to why this expense is your responsibility. You might be pleasantly surprised at the outcome.

Another situation that has surfaced is that so many doctors are contracted out and require a payment upfront from the patient or patient’s parent/guardian. I get that some medical aids will pay only the bare minimum and I also get that some doctors charge exorbitant fees. BUT can doctors and medical aids not reach a compromise? Not everyone is by means to fork out cash upfront, that’s why you pay for medical aid.

I also understand that as a patient, you are the customer, and it is your right to shop around. But what do you do when doctor X is the only doctor closest to you that can do whatever procedure is required BUT they charge 300 sometimes 500 % of medical aid rates?

 

This discussion on medical aids can go on to infinity and beyond. Hence, why I said that this is only PART 1. I know that I won’t change the situation with just one post BUT I do think that we, the customers, CAN and WILL make a difference is we SPEAK UP!

Do you have a medical aid?

Do they cover everything without you having to donate an organ?

Spirited Mama

x

P.S. Happy 2019 folks!

 

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