Phillips / Philips Respironics recent recall notice discussion thread

[zonker]

Was able to secure an Autoset 10 for $460 out of pocket from a Resmed approved reseller. If anyone needs a source just PM me; I dont want to break forum rules.

go ahead, no forum rule against it.

[Buddy0329]

Was able to secure an Autoset 10 for $460 out of pocket from a Resmed approved reseller. If anyone needs a source just PM me; I dont want to break forum rules.

go ahead, no forum rule against it.

I also dont want to jeopardize the non-public coupon code.

[Stilltired01]

To chunky frog, actually the town is called Murrysville, not Murryville. It is a small town outside of Pittsburgh, between Monroeville and Greensburg PA.

A long time ago I was actually inside the building as I used to live there and was visiting family there. Don't know if they have moved buildings since then but if not, it's not that big of a place.

To the other poster who mentioned the VA and respironics. I am sorry but I forgot to note your name. My supplies also come from the VA but I too have a Resmed machine not a phillips. So I don't know what they are planning to do. Actually my machine has started making very intermittent noises and I have a call scheduled with the cpap clinic about it. With the phillips mess don't know how hard it will be to get a new resmed machine out of the VA. Have absolutely no idea of what's wrong with mine but so far it hasn't affected my use. The noise happens very infrequently and is a very short sharp sound. None of the alarms.

[Pugsy]

Medicare will most likely be glad to say "Phillips is either going to fix it or replace it" so we don't have to do anything.
They have already pretty much done away with their usual 5 year rule anyway....now they are saying if the machine breaks and it costs more to fix it...then they will pay for a new machine. They no longer want to buy a new machine after 5 years just because it's been 5 years...they want the machine to be broke as well.
If they can pass the buck to Phillips and say since Phillips is either going to replace it or repair it then I full expect them to dump it in Phillips laps and not want to pay for a new machine since someone else is supposed to fix it or replace it.

[kbh209]

Medicare will most likely be glad to say "Phillips is either going to fix it or replace it" so we don't have to do anything.
They have already pretty much done away with their usual 5 year rule anyway....now they are saying if the machine breaks and it costs more to fix it...then they will pay for a new machine. They no longer want to buy a new machine after 5 years just because it's been 5 years...they want the machine to be broke as well.
If they can pass the buck to Phillips and say since Phillips is either going to replace it or repair it then I full expect them to dump it in Phillips laps and not want to pay for a new machine since someone else is supposed to fix it or replace it.

I suspect your prediction will be "hitting the nail on the head" pugsy. With Philips stating they're going to remedy the issue by fixing newer DS1s and replacing older machines such as the 250s, saves Medicare and Medicaid a whole lot of $$$.

[JLROhio]

To the other poster who mentioned the VA and respironics. I am sorry but I forgot to note your name. My supplies also come from the VA but I too have a Resmed machine not a phillips. So I don't know what they are planning to do. Actually my machine has started making very intermittent noises and I have a call scheduled with the cpap clinic about it. With the phillips mess don't know how hard it will be to get a new resmed machine out of the VA. Have absolutely no idea of what's wrong with mine but so far it hasn't affected my use. The noise happens very infrequently and is a very short sharp sound. None of the alarms.

Thanks for your response on the VA - I've only had an initial appointment with the CPAP shop (which is embedded in the Cardiovascular team - go figure??) where they took my info and sent me a year's worth of supplies. I asked about the 5-year window of my original machine coming up but the woman said that they don't replace them unless they are broken - at which time, I told her that it took me 4 months just to speak with her - how long would I have to wait for a replacement once it broke - she just said, "thems the rules"!

So, I think in about a year or so...I'll be making a call and make up my own story about weird noises coming from my machine in order to set up a replacement of a ResMed 11, once they've been out a while - at least with this Responics recall - the VA will probably quickly run out of their ResMed 10 inventory!

[JLROhio]

Medicare will most likely be glad to say "Phillips is either going to fix it or replace it" so we don't have to do anything.
They have already pretty much done away with their usual 5 year rule anyway....now they are saying if the machine breaks and it costs more to fix it...then they will pay for a new machine. They no longer want to buy a new machine after 5 years just because it's been 5 years...they want the machine to be broke as well.
If they can pass the buck to Phillips and say since Phillips is either going to replace it or repair it then I full expect them to dump it in Phillips laps and not want to pay for a new machine since someone else is supposed to fix it or replace it.

I suspect your prediction will be "hitting the nail on the head" pugsy. With Philips stating they're going to remedy the issue by fixing newer DS1s and replacing older machines such as the 250s, saves Medicare and Medicaid a whole lot of $$$.

I just don't understand how Phillips (and you know their lawyers had to be involved in the initial guidance issued) can tell people to stop using a device that in some cases keeps people alive (hello Reggie White) through the night. People can die due to cardiac arrhythmia if not properly treating their sleep apnea. Lawyers must understand this...and know that they are going to be on the hook if any deaths are linked to someone not using their Phillips CPAP machine due to their guidance to stop using it. I just don't get it...maybe Phillips lawyers think they're just passing the buck back to the doctors, DME's (and insurers/Medicare), and sleep apnea patients by saying, hey, we issued guidance to stop using - you should have found another treatment options - blame someone else!

I don't think Medicare is going to use this as an opportunity to save money...if so, again, people need to call their Congress critters and complain if that is happening - maybe those Congress critters will have the backbone to actually call Phillips in and pass the blame back to them in hearings.

[Stilltired01]

JRLOhio. Actually I have been on Cpap, Bilevel, ivaps with the VA for over 20 years. So far I have never had a problem immediately replacing a broken machine. But I keep forgetting the process! My machine now is 4 1/2 years old and I have an old regular cpap for backup if I have to use it. I called with the complaint on Friday and was set up with an appointment call on Tuesday. So will see. Maybe there is a huge difference in wait times between the different areas/clinics we are using. Mine is connected with the pulmonary clinic. In the other parts of the country where I have lived, there too it's always been associated with the pulmonary doctors.

[Dog Slobber]

Actually I have been on Cpap, Bilevel, ivaps with the VA for over 20 years. So far I have never had a problem immediately replacing a broken machine.

Have you ever had to compete with 4,000,000 other people to get a machine because they have been told to stop using them?

[ChicagoGranny]

I just don't understand how Phillips (and you know their lawyers had to be involved in the initial guidance issued) can tell people to stop using a device that in some cases keeps people alive (hello Reggie White) through the night. People can die due to cardiac arrhythmia if not properly treating their sleep apnea. Lawyers must understand this...and know that they are going to be on the hook if any deaths are linked to someone not using their Phillips CPAP machine due to their guidance to stop using it.

Yes! I also think it was very ill-advised to tell patients to stop using their machines. These machines were issued on a doctor's orders. Philips has no right to countermand these orders.

There are bound to be some heart attacks and strokes in some who were scared into stopping. On the other hand, effects from the small amount of foam VOCs being inhaled take years of exposure to cause serious damage.

[Stilltired01]

Dog Slobber, I was talking about the VA in general. As I posted earlier with this Phillips mess I dont know how long anything will take. But also I am on an ivaps machine which less people are on. Will see.

[tisket]

Was able to secure an Autoset 10 for $460 out of pocket from a Resmed approved reseller. If anyone needs a source just PM me; I dont want to break forum rules.

go ahead, no forum rule against it.

I am curious for this source. The price seems hard to believe.

I am confused about pricing because Pugsy said that ResMed sets the prices and any discounts are Resmed approved sales. Yet when I look around the internet I see a variety of Airsense prices, some below MSRP. Some of these sites had the word "refurbished" somewhere on the site or page but some did not.

Some had an option to "add a prescription" for $99 which I thought was...interesting.

At this point I'd like to get a backup machine since my current backup is a PR System 1. I get the feeling Airsenses are going to be a pandemic-style "empty shelves" situation soon.

[Buddy0329]

Tisket,

I replied to your PM.

[colomom]

Was able to secure an Autoset 10 for $460 out of pocket from a Resmed approved reseller. If anyone needs a source just PM me; I dont want to break forum rules.

go ahead, no forum rule against it.

I am curious for this source. The price seems hard to believe.

I am confused about pricing because Pugsy said that ResMed sets the prices and any discounts are Resmed approved sales. Yet when I look around the internet I see a variety of Airsense prices, some below MSRP. Some of these sites had the word "refurbished" somewhere on the site or page but some did not.

Some had an option to "add a prescription" for $99 which I thought was...interesting.

At this point I'd like to get a backup machine since my current backup is a PR System 1. I get the feeling Airsenses are going to be a pandemic-style "empty shelves" situation soon.

I posted on this thread a couple of days ago venting my frustration about being faced with the prospect of shelling out $800 for a likely back ordered ResMed for my son.
Buddy0329 saw my post and was very kind in sending me a PM with a link to the site and a coupon code. The ResMed A10 was listed on the site for $575, the coupon knocked off 20% which knocked it down to $460. The site is a direct order site owned by one of the larger DME companies. It saved me a lot of money. I won’t share the code or the site since it sounds like Buddy0329 prefers anyone who wants it shoot him a PM rather than publish it more broadly.

[Pugsy]

I am confused about pricing because Pugsy said that ResMed sets the prices and any discounts are Resmed approved sales. Yet when I look around the internet I see a variety of Airsense prices, some below MSRP. Some of these sites had the word "refurbished" somewhere on the site or page but some did not.

Read what I have said in the past.
Some online sellers buy directly from ResMed and have contracts directly with ResMed. Those contracts usually contain some wording as to publication of prices and selling at such prices. It's usually the MSRP.

NOW...not all online sellers are buying directly from ResMed and thus probably don't have a contract that they don't want to lose by breaking it and not following the contract. Those sellers can advertise and sell for whatever they want to sell something for.

Cpap.com has such a contract though and when you look online it is fairly easy to spot those that most likely do...they advertise the MSRP.
Refurbished machines....we have no idea who did the refurbishing but obviously they aren't going to fall under contract restrictions.
ResMed also won't allow cpap.com to ship ResMed products outside the USA...Respironics won't either.
It's part of their contract.
Other online sellers...we have no idea what their contract might state but usually when a retailer buys directly from ResMed...there's some sort of contract involved.
Those that don't have a contract...it's anyone's game and we have no idea where they got their machines.