Silicone, Acrylic, or Titanium Full Molds for Phonak Audeo Infinio I70 RICs?

My question is: would UHC cover up to the full cost of the 70s but allow YOU to pay the difference so you could get perhaps the more powerful and perhaps optimal 90s? I get it that health insurance is going to try to meet us halfway, but are they flexible on that point at all?

It’s like telling a mental health patient: “We only cover the cost of lollipops for your comfort. No clinic visits cuz they cost too much.” And then having the nuts to say they cover mental health on their plans!

@AttilaDaPun said:

Full coverage of the 70s and your molds? No cost to you? Definitely worth a try! At least it’s progress, and should forestall any dissolution of marriage or appearances in criminal court.

I have trouble with my receivers backing out of my ears, the right being the worst for that. My audiologist recommended, upon my question as to material and placement and retention, an acrylic mold for each ear. Deep canal, with skeleton-style retention. If that doesn’t work, silicone and titanium are also covered.
If you aren’t sensitive to acrylic, I’m told it’s quite durable. She said titanium might present retention difficulties for me, because it can be made quite small. Just the same, if acrylic presents any problems for me, I’m considering titanium deep canal molds with skeleton retention locks.

You might want to try acrylic, because the audiology office can do a receiver change, whereas titanium has to be sent to Phonak for that.

Right; I’d thought of that. In my previous thrashing about, Miracle-Ear did acrylic molds from the start, and I found them quite comfortable. I need to get with my current provider and get more clarification on that subject, as there might be a cost differential - the UHC lady didn’t cover the part about WHAT mold was covered…

However, I’m wondering how it is that acrylic can manage a receiver change. Memory has it that the one from M-E was a one-piece as well…

@1Bluejay said:

My question is: would UHC cover up to the full cost of the 70s but allow YOU to pay the difference so you could get perhaps the more powerful and perhaps optimal 90s? I get it that health insurance is going to try to meet us halfway, but are they flexible on that point at all?

It’s like telling a mental health patient: “We only cover the cost of lollipops for your comfort. No clinic visits cuz they cost too much.” And then having the nuts to say they cover mental health on their plans!

I don’t know, as the UHC helpdesk conversation was immediately before my appointment, and I didn’t have time to go digging. That’s a very good question. However, as I don’t know what the cost differential would be - and there’s some possibility that UHC would be the actual electronics supplier (dunno that part either, but the Starkey guy made it sound that way for their gear), which would complicate matters, I’d think.

I’m guessing it will be an either-or situation: buy the 90s and submit a bill for reimbursement less the copay (maybe - or also maybe not available that way), or do a package which pays the provider X dollars and I pay the copay to them to cover the difference; no doubt, if it’s like any other UHC experience I’ve had, there’s a charged price, and then a massive insurance adjustment, and then a copay after whatever it is that the provider is allowed. In this case, it appears that whatever it is UHC and the provider agree is paid the provider, and I’m responsible for the copay amount.

If the differential were trivial (less than, say, $1K, making my outlay $3498 tops) I might go for it. Whether or not the same return privileges would apply would remain to be seen, and currently uncharted territory for this navigator!

Later edit: The ZipHearing quote had a U$D1300 differential between the 70s and 90s. Given that they are a discounter, that doesn’t bode well for me, AND raises the question of whether this is a markedly more sophisticated piece of gear (the 90/70 comparison)…

In which role?

And, regarding the price difference between Phonak Sphere I70 and I90, I’ve seen some as low as $100 per aid, and some as high as $1,000 per aid.
@Skip - You might be interested in this forum post, if you haven’t already seen it:

Has anybody compared Phonak I70 with I90 Sphere?

Curious if anybody has compared to see what difference there might be. According to stuff I’ve seen the only difference is that the I70 lacks Soft Speech Enhancer, but I wonder if the level of noise reduction ability varies. Thanks. For me there would be an $1800 price difference for a pair.

I should make another topic about buying earmolds/cShells, especially titanium for Phonak users based on my experiences.

@AttilaDaPun said:

In which role?

And, regarding the price difference between Phonak Sphere I70 and I90, I’ve seen some as low as $100 per aid, and some as high as $1,000 per aid.
@Skip - You might be interested in this forum post, if you haven’t already seen it:

Has anybody compared Phonak I70 with I90 Sphere?

Thanks for the lead. Interesting that my Zip quote is 1300 diff, but his is 1800. CD, not USD?

But from what I see, particularly if it’s going to raise my outlay to half-again the copay costs, I’ll stick with the Sphere I70s.

Best estimate from my provider is today or tomorrow arrival, but prolly Monday; on pins and needles to start my trial. I still have to determine my mold material and how UHC will treat that cost.

Time to call UHC…

LOL

Rest assured. INTJ means total detail, and logorrhea is common (as seen in any of my other notes!)

If that’s the Myers-Briggs assessment rating, I’m pretty sure we’re the same personality profile.

It’s not the sweat, it’s side to side head movement when doing floor exercises.

Same when I’m under a car changing oil.

Update:

At this provider (Adams Hearing, Clayton GA), Titanium is 319, Acrylic 2-something-I-didn’t write down, and silicone even less.

There’s a 6 month trial while they get it right; it took 3 iterations, including one re-impression, to get my Beltone silicone molds right - but since that time about 8 months ago, they’ve been altogether comfy and while I occasionally have to re-seat (push back in fully), there have been no issues.

And, in fact, we (Adams and I) will use these until my Phonak molds arrive, as the start of my test. I have a variety (a ‘tree’ of injection molded sizes) of vent adjustment nipples (open, large, medium, small, and stuffed vents in the end); the Phonak receivers aren’t quite as large as my high power Beltones are, so it may turn out that I plug my vents, presuming some ‘leakage’ - equivalent to a small vent - around that receiver.

That said, given all the reports I’ve been able to find comparing them to others, I bit the bullet on the Titanium molds.

Bit the bullet because an extended, including a 3-way with Adams, UHC call revealed that the earlier impression of full-coverage, based on a hurried conversation with a support person just before my initial appointment, was mistaken. It’s HA-and-receiver only. Molds are OutOfPocket cost to me.

And the I70s are as high as they’ll cover; if I want the I90s, I have to buy them outright (at an unknown cost, as cost never was discussed, but presumed in the mid-to-upper 4 figure U$D.

But, my U$D2498 copay and $319 handily beats my other, insurance adjusted, 6900 (Round 3; DING! - #21 by Skip) cost a no-brainer…

That’s a shame about the molds not being covered, but the price difference on the aids and receivers certainly is better by far. That, and actually beginning a trial of the I70s seems like progress! Stubborn as I can sometimes be, I’d do some written haggling with UHC about providing an amount equal to what they’re paying for the I70s, for use toward the cost of the I90s. I’d ask their rationale for declining to do so via that phone call with you and Adams you mentioned, and see if you can submit an appeal. I’d do it via email for the sake of speed, documentation and a “paper” trail. And I’d go over your hearing aid coverage with a fine-tooth comb! Just my opinion.

I didn’t see (maybe I missed it) but are these sphere I70s, or I70-Rs? If they are sphere, be sure to get a Spherical in loud noise program added for you. I70 won’t go into sphere on its own, I think.

WH

My take from this Features - Phonak Audéo Sphere™ Infinio hearing aids | Phonak5 is that the I70 Sphere will go into Sphere using Autosense. I think the only differences are 1) the I90 has Speech Enhancer and 2) the I90 has stronger Sphere settings available (not shown in chart but mentioned elsewhere in forum from people looking at Target settings)