In 2023, UnitedHealthcare achieved remarkable success with the sale of over 50,000 Relate branded hearing aids. Now, in 2024, UnitedHealthcare is proud to unveil the latest evolution in their branded devices: Relate 4.0.
This newest generation of hearing solutions represents a significant leap forward in sound quality, personalization, connectivity, and digital capabilities. With three distinct technology tiers – Relate Platinum, Relate Gold, and Relate Silver – Relate 4.0 hearing aids cater to diverse consumer needs like never before.
Relate 4.0 hearing aids are available in three levels of technology: Platinum, Gold, and Silver. Platinum offers seamless automation of premium features, ensuring optimal listening for even the most active lifestyles. Gold represents an advanced, comprehensive device ideal for individuals leading active lives. Meanwhile, Silver provides a high-quality, affordable option designed to enhance communication in small groups and quiet environments.
These sophisticated yet user-friendly devices empower individuals to address hearing loss with confidence. Exclusively available through in-person care, Relate® hearing aids are meticulously crafted to suit nearly every lifestyle, with patients’ needs at the forefront.
The success of Relate 4.0 is evident, with over 10,000 units sold within the first two months of 2024, underscoring the widespread demand for innovative hearing solutions.
Understanding Hearing Aid Options Through UHC
UHC provides consumers with a clear way to assess their hearing aid choices, making it easier to determine what best suits their needs.
- Relate® prescription hearing aids: Manufactured by well-known brands, these devices incorporate popular features to enhance hearing capabilities.
- Brand-name prescription hearing aids: Customized specifically for individual needs, these devices offer a broad spectrum of features tailored to each user.
- Over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aids: A self-directed option, ideal for those looking to begin their hearing enhancement journey independently
Below we break down the different levels of Relate technology available through the UHC hearing aid program.
Relate Platinum: Elevating the Hearing Experience
At the top tier, Relate Platinum stands out as the pinnacle of sophistication, equipped with the most cutting-edge technology. It introduces an automatic program adept at seamlessly adjusting to eight diverse listening environments. Key features include:
- Auto Target Pro: This feature automatically fine-tunes directional microphones, noise reduction, and speech enhancement based on the detected location of speech, swiftly adapting as speech locations change.
- ActiveFocus: In particularly noisy settings, ActiveFocus further enhances the signal-to-noise ratio by narrowly focusing microphones on speech from the front, using a binaural wireless network between the two hearing aids. This function gradually engages when the “Conversation in Loud Noise” environment activates.
- Capture All: For detailed insights, Relate Platinum includes advanced usage logging of hearing aid settings and directional speech detection, accessible via the Aura:fit fitting software, providing a comprehensive view for audiologists.
- 360° Program: An optimized manual listening program designed for speech from any direction, specifically crafted for in-vehicle settings.
Relate Platinum offers an ‘unparalleled’ automated system tailored to effortlessly navigate challenging listening scenarios.
Relate Gold: High Performance and Versatility
The Relate Gold tier, catering to those seeking excellent performance and versatility, automatically adapts to six distinct listening environments. Notable technologies include:
- Multi-band Adaptive Directionality: This technology focuses microphones towards speech in noisy environments while avoiding overly blocking ambient sounds. Audiologists can configure settings in the Aura:fit software.
- Wind and Noise Management: Reducing wind noise outdoors and offering an adjustable parameter for overall noise reduction in indoor noisy situations.
- Capture All: This tier includes usage logging capabilities, albeit more limited compared to the Relate Platinum tier.
- Manual Conversation in Loud Noise Program: Users can access a binaural microphone focus in very noisy environments with adjustable focus intensity.
Relate Gold incorporates robust directional microphone systems and advanced noise management, ensuring clarity in various daily settings, and includes full-featured mobile app connectivity.
Relate Silver: Essential Performance at an Accessible Price
Designed as the entry-level solution, Relate Silver focuses on meeting core daily needs with an automatic program seamlessly transitioning between quiet environments and small group conversations. Key features consist of:
- Fixed Directional Microphones: General focus directed towards speech in front, enhancing the signal-to-noise ratio.
- Mobile Connectivity: Seamless connection to iOS or Android phones for streaming and basic control.
Relate Silver provides the fundamental aspects of speech understanding and listening comfort in less complex listening environments, offered at an economical price point.
Hearing Aid Styles and Technology in United Healthcare’s Relate 4.0 Hearing Aids
Relate Platinum – Premium Features
The top-tier Relate Platinum presents eight automatic environments, including ‘conversation in loud noise,’ along with advanced features like Auto Target Pro and ActiveFocus.
- Automatic Environments: Includes 8 environments, introducing ‘conversation in loud noise.’
- Advanced Features: Auto Target Pro, ActiveFocus, 360 Conversations in car.
- Connectivity: Made for all direct connectivity (Android & iPhone), tap control, telecoil.
- Design Varieties: Rechargeable models available in various styles, including RIC design.
Relate 4.0 RIC – Comfort and Functionality
Relate 4.0 RIC ensures all-day comfort with a slim top shell design, easy-to-use controls, and accessibility for users with dexterity challenges.
- Comfortable Design: Slim top shell, comfortable for all-day wear, especially with glasses.
- User-Friendly Controls: Multi-function button, tap control for rechargeable models.
- Accessibility: Integrated user controls for ease of use, designed for dexterity challenges.
- Charging: New magnetic insertion charger enhances convenience.
- Battery Options: Available in RIC 312 with disposable 312 batteries.
Relate 4.0 Performance Profiles
Consistent receiver performance across various options and coupling flexibility to accommodate most hearing losses.
- Receiver Performance: Offers consistent performance across different receivers.
- Coupling Options: Range of coupling options available for varied hearing losses.
SDS 5.0 – Advanced Sound Delivery
Superior sound quality with SDS 5.0, featuring advanced sound delivery and CeruStop wax protection.
- Enhanced Sound: Relate 4.0 ships with SDS 5.0 for superior sound quality.
- Wax Protection: SDS 5.0 receivers feature CeruStop wax protection system.
- Power Levels: Available in S, M, P, and UP power levels.
BTE R – All-Day Charge and Compatibility
Versatile compatibility and all-day charge capabilities across different tech levels, featuring various color options.
- Compatibility: Available across all tech levels (Platinum, Gold, Silver).
- Charging: All-day charge with streaming, accommodating various earmold sizes.
- Color Varieties: Available in platinum, sand, and espresso colors.
Relate Custom Style Hearing Aids – Precision Fit and Advanced Features
The family of Relate 3.1 custom in-the-ear hearing aids delivers powerful sound and clarity. Available in Gold level only. Individually crafted with precision for optimized directional microphone performance and full connectivity options.
- Custom Design: Anatomic mapping ensures precise fit for directional microphones.
- Connectivity: Relate Reserve 312 ITE offers full connectivity, wireless streaming, and RogerDirect.
Updates to Hearing Aid Remote App
The updated Hearing Remote app empowers hearing aid users to personalize their listening experience via their smartphones, sporting a modernized, user-friendly interface for easier accessibility to various options. Offering fingertip control features, it enables adjustments in volume, program settings, and fine-tuning between streamed and environmental sounds, including tinnitus masking.
Moreover, this revamped app showcases a 3-band equalizer and an array of advanced features within Relate 4.0, such as comfort/clarity, optional manual programs, speech enhancement, noise reduction, and focused microphone settings, further enhancing the auditory experience for users.
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New Intuitive Design – Fresh, modern look and feel with efficient use of screen space. Optional “classic mode” retains existing navigation.
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Advanced Mode – New main tabs:
- Home: colorful customizable carousel of program images
- Lifestyle: Capture All wearing time data, step counter using hearing aid accelerometer
- Devices: detailed instrument settings for personalization
- Support: quick access to tips and FAQs
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Automatic Personalization – Comfort/Clarity options apply preset adjustments to directionality, speech enhancement, noise reduction and frequency shaping without permanently altering automatic program.
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Additional App Programs
- “Party” program activates Conversation in Loud Noise environment manually for Platinum and Gold
- “Transportation” program applies fixed directionality for car conversations
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Retains patient-friendly interface with both simple and advanced usage options
The updated app allows patients to further optimize and personalize Relate 4.0 performance through an intuitive, customizable interface while retaining ease of use.
Continuous Care Tools
Ongoing support and guidance through Remote Adjust, Tutor feature, and data capture for tailored recommendations.
- Remote Adjust: Allows fine-tuning adjustments remotely for expert support.
- Tutor Feature: Provides personalized guidance and integration tips.
- Capture All: Captures data for supporting recommendations based on real-world experiences.
Tutor in Hearing Remote App
Enhanced guidance and encouragement within the Hearing Remote app’s Tutor feature for effective hearing aid management.
- Enhanced Guidance: Tutor feature provides tailored instructions.
- Encouragement: Offers motivation and support for users to maximize their hearing aid potential.
Connectivity
United Healthcare’s Relate 4.0 hearing aids provide connectivity with their PRISM Connectivity system, supporting six wireless protocols, including three standard Bluetooth and three Sonova proprietary protocols. This technology seamlessly activates protocols as needed, facilitating control, binaural communication, and high-fidelity media streaming across various devices.
‘Made-for-all’ hands-free connectivity is available at all technology levels
An industry-leading feature across all technology tiers – Platinum, Gold, and Silver – is the made-for-all, hands-free connectivity. This feature includes automatic speech and music classification within streamed signals, optimizing sound for wearers. Notably, Relate 4.0 is compatible with both Android and iOS devices, allowing users the freedom to pair their preferred phones effortlessly.
The pairing process is user-friendly, enabling wearers to connect to their hearing aids through the Bluetooth pairing screen. Leveraging Bluetooth Classic Hands-Free Profile (HFP), wearers can engage in phone conversations without holding the device, as the hearing aid microphones transmit their voice to the phone via Bluetooth. Another remarkable aspect is the support for two active classic Bluetooth connections and up to eight Bluetooth pairings concurrently. This feature ensures seamless transitions between streaming media from one device to answering calls on another, underscoring the hearing aids’ adeptness in managing multiple connections effortlessly.
Summary
United Healthcare’s latest Relate 4.0 hearing aids represent a significant advancement in technology, boasting the brand’s most sophisticated noise reduction and microphone directionality systems to date. These innovative devices automatically adapt to sound environments, offering optimal hearing experiences.
The series, consisting of Relate Platinum, Relate Gold, and Relate Silver, caters to diverse user needs, from advanced personalization to essential features at various price points, ensuring excellent sound quality across different listening situations. Complemented by an enhanced mobile app design, the PRISM Connectivity system enables streamlined wireless control, empowering users with intuitive access to advanced functionalities. Notably, tools like Remote Adjust and Tutor functions further aid users in effectively managing their hearing aids, marking a significant improvement in technology compared to earlier generations.
For those with UHC hearing aid benefits seeking enhanced comfort and accessibility, the latest Relate 4.0 hearing aids offer compelling features at a more budget-friendly price, which might be worth a closer look.
Source: UHC
