Phillips / Philips Respironics recent recall notice discussion thread

[vze2363v]

Has anyone gotten a replacement machine this way, with no doctors or scrips involved?

I did. I think Philips is over this whole thing because when I registered they were all about having a doctor's prescription. They've gotten down to accepting DME paperwork. You'll need to have your DME fax the settings information (mine is 12/9) to the Philips recall fax (331-233-0129) with your Philips Recall Confirmation Number on it really big so they can't screw it up. I had to have the information faxed twice. When I had to call back the 2nd time I made the call center guy enter my settings information into my account comments so they couldn't say they didn't have it.

I got my Dreamstation BiPAP today and I will tell you my System 1 carrying bag is too small for the new Dreamstation. They send regular tubes instead of the heated tubes in the YouTube videos, but the girl in Colorado said that's only to dry up any condensation in the tube and since I never push my humidifier past 2 I shouldn't have a problem with it. I'm going to try and use this machine tonight just the way it is. I would love to get 8 hours of sleep again.

Does anyone have their Philips Dreamstation plugged into a UPS system? The Dreamstations seem more digitally complex and I can't see why they wouldn't want them to receive continual power to them when the lights go off. I've had the lights go off from thunderstorms (Florida) and waking up barely able to breathe because the machine isn't working any more isn't a fun experience.

Hope this information is useful to someone.

[ktmtrailrider]

I've received emails from them that I have basically ignored since they wanted to give me $50 - haha - and then wanted my doctor to get involved - I haven't seen the doctor who prescribed cpcp since 2018 and have no intention to.

Recently I got an email that said

"In most cases, Philips Respironics can work directly with a durable medical equipment (DME) provider to get device settings. In cases where we are unable to secure this information from the DME provider, we will collaborate directly with patients.

We are unable to remediate your device without first obtaining your device settings. Please visit the Patient Portal to update your device settings.

If you are unable, for any reason, to provide us with your current device therapy prescription, you have the option to receive a replacement device with automatic adjusted settings more commonly known as auto-adjusting CPAP, which may help us process your order more efficiently as we can ship you a replacement device without your prescription settings. Below explains this setting and how you can provide your consent for this option within the Patient Portal. "


Has anyone gotten a replacement machine this way, with no doctors or scrips involved? If so maybe I will make the attempt. I certainly don't want to go getting a former doctor (that I left for good reason) involved, and the $50 offer is ludicrous. If they are going to send me a new Dreamstation 2, it might be worth it - but I would probably just store it for a few years to make sure there is no recall on that.

At this point I am getting worried about even having the System 1 in the closet. If it is really releasing cancer causing gases, it could be doing so from in there, into the whole apartment, even if I don't use it. Gas has a way of expanding to fill a space.

I just received a refurbished machine this way. I think it was in March of this year that I received the same email. I opted for this method, and to my surprise, there was a box outside today with the new equipment. My only question presently, is will they bill me or my insurance for the replacement equipment?
Thanks everyone!

[TonyG]

I live in Canada and just received from my provider a new Dreamstation1 apap manufactured date March/23 , to replace my recalled System1. I inquired with them if they had heard anything from Phillips regarding the recall since I hadn't received anything from Phillips since an August/21 email. They told me to bring my machine in next day and gave me the replacement. They claim that they were just starting to replace machines in Canada but I wondered what would have happened had I not broached the subject with them. Regardless happy to get a new machine for one I hadn't been using anyway and having tried it for a couple of nights think it works just fine. Will replace my system1 as a backup for now.

[tungpust]

Massive problems with address change

Short version:

Philips has now TWICE sent a replacement machine to my old address, two states away. I have spent many hours on hold+speaking with their customer service reps, and so far they cannot do *anything* right, as evidenced by once again sending the machine to the old address. What have other people experiences in this regard? Is there a law firm that was the lead complainant that I can contact? Or should I write the Philips legal department? If anyone found a good solution, please respond.

Longer version: I called in my address change over a YEAR before Philips shipped the replacement machine to my old address. A good neighbor and helpful landlord alerted me. The registration website does not have an address change function(*). The customer service is useless. I haven't yet tallied the hours they have wasted for me, but it is quite significant. Their business process is atrocious. My initial address change went into a black hole. The machine gets sent to the wrong address. Getting a return label issued was a nightmare. As for getting the machine sent out again, the front-end customer service writes up some sort of ticket/request that goes to the "replacement team". The replacement team promptly ignores the instructions of address change, and sends the machine to the old address again.

There must be other people who had this problem? Your experience and advice is sought!

(*) There is a contact info update page on the website. It has my new address in it. Philips just has not been using it.

[amenite]

Massive problems with address change
...
There must be other people who had this problem? Your experience and advice is sought!

So my address changed late last year and i got two machines delivered to the right place. The difference I guess was that I had never been able to log in to their "portal" with any serial number or ID they had given me (I registered in the first week or two of the whole debacle). It was as if they were filling out the form on my behalf based on my responses over the phone so I guess that's how they got mine right - by not having it wrong in the first place? Best of luck with your Philips odyssey.

[williaty]

My replacement machine came today. I was surprised to find a request to return the old machine, since that had never been conveyed to me before. The instructions for return clearly also only cover returning a Dreamstation machine and not an old System One machine like I had. It's clear they know I had an old System One machine because the replacement comes with all the Dreamstation 1 accessories that they don't include as part of the recall exchange for Dreamstation users but that I would require because I never had a Dreamstation.

Now, here's the kicker:

I stopped using my old machine and replaced it out of pocket the moment the recall broke. At that time, there was no talk of needing to ship it back to get a new machine. I put it in a box somewhere and now, two years later, when I finally get my replacement machine, I have no clue where that old machine is. Given the amount of post-COVID life shuffling that has happened and the amount of stuff we had to clean out, I doubt I even still have it anymore.

Does anyone know what Philips does in situations like these?

[amenite]

My replacement machine came today. I was surprised to find a request to return the old machine, since that had never been conveyed to me before. The instructions for return clearly also only cover returning a Dreamstation machine and not an old System One machine like I had. It's clear they know I had an old System One machine because the replacement comes with all the Dreamstation 1 accessories that they don't include as part of the recall exchange for Dreamstation users but that I would require because I never had a Dreamstation.

Now, here's the kicker:

I stopped using my old machine and replaced it out of pocket the moment the recall broke. At that time, there was no talk of needing to ship it back to get a new machine. I put it in a box somewhere and now, two years later, when I finally get my replacement machine, I have no clue where that old machine is. Given the amount of post-COVID life shuffling that has happened and the amount of stuff we had to clean out, I doubt I even still have it anymore.

Does anyone know what Philips does in situations like these?

I haven't read through the entire document where this preservation registry is spelled out. The poster below indicates it's not required to return a system one machine. The "Interim Preservation" document only discusses what to do if keeping a recalled DS1 machine. Seems like the verbiage in the documents with my replacements (saying to return or be charged) is boilerplate for DS1 machines, Mine were all SystemOne.

viewtopic/t182248/Phillips--Philips-Res ... 5#p1440204

https://www.pawd.uscourts.gov/sites/paw ... _Order.pdf

Edit: Looks like page 11 of the preservation order has the verbiage that applies, keeping in mind I am neither an attorney nor did I stay in a Holiday Inn Express last night:

IV.PHILIPS RS’S PRESERVATION OF OTHER RECALLED DEVICES
36.Philips RS represents that, as of the date of this Order, other than for TrilogyDevices, Philips RS has not instructed users of Other Recalled Devices to return Other Recalled Devices to Philips RS or to any DME. In certain limited instances, however, users of such Other Recalled Devices have returned them to Philips RS. ...

[tisket]

After another email from them I called them and went through the process to request an APAP without giving them any scrip. I am waiting to see if/when one shows up.

Appreciate the info above about not having to return a System 1, that would have freaked me out if I had seen it in the box when I get the new (or refurbished, sounds more likely) machine. As far as I'm concerned that System 1 is evidence for a potential lawsuit if I get sick. I'd rather send their new machine back to them than return the System 1.

I just hope the System 1 is not offgassing cancerous gases in my apartment as it sits in the closet. Maybe I should put it in a ziplock bag and seal it.

Oddly I got another email later saying I needed to take action, but according to the Patient Portal, there is nothing more for me to do. Strange. Maybe they keep sending those until you actually get sent a machine.

[aStuff]

I had registered my System One ASV (960P) back in July of 2021. Since then I received a few emails looking at my saved list (11/21, 10/22, 12/22, 5/23) but none telling me where my request was in the system. Last October they asked for a script which I had my doctor send over but no response or acknowledgement. I finally got a shipping email from a carrier saying something was arriving from Respironics. Then my new DreamStation BiPAP autoSV (900x110) showed up two weeks ago.

The new machine was not in a retail style box but multiple boxes which included the power supply, power cord, filters, humidifier, water chamber, and a 15mm non-heated hose. All of the paperwork in the box talked about replacing a like-for-like DreamStation so wasn't very helpful but they did include a user manual. It is great that I got a new machine but there was a lot of frustration that I hope can be put behind.

[tisket]

Received a re-certified Dreamstation machine the other day. Interestingly the patient portal still said my replacement would be shipped in October for the last week but today it says it was already shipped. Surprised they did not require a signature given the cost of these things. Just left outside my apartment door.

Had info inside about returning it with a shipping label. Per the discussion here I did not think this applied to System 1 devices, especially after reading the legal docs online linked here.

I called them anyway and they said they wanted me to return the System 1. I said I had not agreed to that when I signed up for the replacement one, and mine was past service life and could not be refurbished etc. They said I had signed up for a "replacement" and they still "wanted" me to return it. I asked if I would be billed if I didn't, since I wanted to save it as evidence in a lawsuit if I needed it, and they said no, they would not bill me. I said that's good since there is no way to register it as one I want to keep as evidence, unlike Dreamstations, which do have a web page where you can register that you are keeping it as evidence.

TL;DR they tried to pressure me into returning my System 1, but admitted they would not bill me if I didn't, so I am not returning it.

[khjalmarj]

Well, after 2+ years of waiting, including numerous phone calls, and no notifications of it being shipped, I finally received my DreamStation replacement today. But I find I have a question.

The notices in the box tell me my new machine will pick up settings, history, etc., from the old automatically in a few minutes after being switched on. Which is fine, but... is there any change my old machine will be deactivated, maybe permanently, if I do this? Or if I just set up the new one from scratch? (not sure I'm really making sense here: sorry!)

So why is this a concern? Well, my old machine is working just fine, BION, and shows no sign of throwing contaminants into my bedroom atmosphere. I asked my pulmonary specialist about the whole thing, and he advised that I keep on using the old machine if it's still working. He's heard rumors that the newer ones are not made as well as the old ones, so I should keep using the old one (until next May, when I can order a new one after five years according to Medicare rules). In any case, I'm NOT gonna ship back the old one (I think I saw a notification that they'd like me to, but it wasn't absolutely required). And I'm not going to call the company to ask about it! Philips' customer service makes my other medical supply companies shine!

I just learned how to adjust the pressure parameters properly, and things are going quite well now, so I hate to abandon a winner. OTOH, I'd like to at least test the new machine, but not if it's going to permanently deactivate the old one.

Thanks for any advice! I just discovered this forum, and will enjoy reading back articles on this and other problems.

--Keith

[Grumpy48]

khjalmarj........

When I powered on the replacement DS2 the old DS1 settings were uploaded to it. Powering on the DS2 also changed the primary device in DreamMapper to the new DS2. The old DS1 was still fully functional, but no longer logged data to DreamMapper. The DS1 'history' simply appended/continued in DreamMapper with the new DS2.

[khjalmarj]

Grumpy48, thanks for the info! Does "DS2" mean they included a humidifier, or is it just a newer model? I don't care: I bought a new humidifier for the old DS a few weeks ago (it was starting to leak noisily).

If I do wanna test the new machine, I suppose I can just turn it on and let everything settle down and see if it works. Then I can reconfigure the app to the old config parameters to connect back up to the old one. I think. Maybe. I can remember getting my first 300baud modem and connecting it up to transfer data from a distant radio telescope, so things have improved a whole lot since then! But I think I almost understand Bluetooth and WiFi...

--Keith

—
Keith Johnson
Retired Celestial Wizard and Keeper of the Cosmic Keys
Some people wear their hearts on their sleeves.
I wear my pancreas on my belt.
[#597 of 809 entries in my FileMaker database of interesting .sigs]

[Grumpy48]

Keith.....

the DS2 (Dream Station 2) is a new model with a black casing versus the original Dream Station which was white.. Yes, the humidifier is included with the Dream Station 2. Both the Dream Stations use a cellular phone type connection to transfer data to the Philips servers and each is also capable of using Bluetooth to transfer data to a smart device.
Not sure if by 'app' you mean DreamMapper'. If so, DreamMapper may not let you go back to the previous CPAP once it connects to the new one.

Dream Station 2.....
https://www.usa.philips.com/healthcare/ ... -auto-cpap

[khjalmarj]

"DreamMapper may not let you go back to the previous CPAP once it connects to the new one. " Yes, that's what I meant. I suppose I'll have to roll up my sleeves and try to contact Philips customer support to find out if the switch to the new machine is permanent. **Shudder! ** I've not had much success with (A) contacting them, and (2) getting a decent answer from them in the past. Maybe tomorrow!

Thanks again!

—
Keith Johnson
Retired Celestial Wizard and Keeper of the Cosmic Keys
Diabetics are the only people who inject themselves so that they DON'T get high!