Philips recall: Take the $50 or a replacement CPAP?

I already got a refurbished Dreamstation 1 from Philips and I have a Resmed Airsense 10 auto too. I also registered an old System One machine for the recall. Philips is asking if I want a complete replacement CPAP machine, or if I want $50 instead.

Since I already have two machines is there any reason to take another replacement machine from Philips rather than the $50?

Take the machine and sell it for $60. You'll be ten bucks ahead.

The hassle of selling wouldn't be worth making $10.

reader2580 wrote: ↑

Wed Feb 08, 2023 2:58 pm

The hassle of selling wouldn't be worth making $10.

Then why did you ask?

palerider wrote: ↑

Wed Feb 08, 2023 4:03 pm

reader2580 wrote: ↑

Wed Feb 08, 2023 2:58 pm

The hassle of selling wouldn't be worth making $10.

Then why did you ask?

It wouldn't be worth it for a $10 profit over the $50 from Philips. If it could be easily sold for a lot more than $60 then it would make sense to get the machine and sell it. The profit potential would need to be more like $100 to not just take the $50.

I don't know if there is also an option to donate the machine somewhere as I don't need it and I can give up the $50 to help someone out.

Place it in your driveway.
Take video while someone drives over it with a riding lawnmower.
Post the video.
Go viral--make loads of money!
Resist the urge to destroy it yourself.
The cameraman owns the video--and the moolah.

reader2580 wrote: ↑

Wed Feb 08, 2023 2:58 pm

The hassle of selling wouldn't be worth making $10.

You should think about this twice.

reader2580 wrote: ↑

Wed Feb 08, 2023 2:21 pm

I already got a refurbished Dreamstation 1 from Philips and I have a Resmed Airsense 10 auto too. I also registered an old System One machine for the recall. Philips is asking if I want a complete replacement CPAP machine, or if I want $50 instead.

Since I already have two machines is there any reason to take another replacement machine from Philips rather than the $50?

I was in a similar situation and took the new machine instead of the $25 offered by Philips. They sent a brand new Dreamstation 2. Given the cost of these machines why not have an extra brand new $800-$1200 backup for just $50. With the consolidation in the industry that has recently occurred machines will likely cost a lot more going forward than the $200 (CPAP) to $400 (APAP) we paid before the recall and pandemic to purchase a machine. One fried circuit board from a lightning storm and you will be glad you have the backup.

Also, how old is your DS1? Likely you are still using your original humidifier that may have a shorter working life than the refurbished machine.

P.S. Good chance Philips will stop making new DS1s when the recall is over making these orphaned machines. After 2-3 years we may find it hard or very expensive to find replacement parts such as silcone seals and/or humidifier chambers. You may decide to use the new machine as your primary and keep the DS1 as a backup.

https://www.sleephealth.org/ takes donations of gently used Cpap Machines and sealed supplies. They provide these for those who can't afford treatment.

My CPAP doesn't seem to do enough good for me to worry about having a backup machine at the ready. My humidifier has had about 18 months of use. How often do the induction heaters in the humidifier go bad?

I am probably going to get the replacement machine, but I need to get a copy of my prescription. I don't know why the prescriptions expire in a year. I guess they want you to see your doctor every year. I have a follow-up at least once a year, but I forget to ask for a new prescription.

Lane101 wrote: ↑

Thu Feb 09, 2023 4:48 pm

With the consolidation in the industry that has recently occurred machines will likely cost a lot more

What consolidation is that?

ChicagoGranny wrote: ↑

Fri Feb 10, 2023 12:41 pm

Lane101 wrote: ↑

Thu Feb 09, 2023 4:48 pm

With the consolidation in the industry that has recently occurred machines will likely cost a lot more

What consolidation is that?

Most of the manufacturers who were providing CPAP devices like Puritan Bennett (Goodknight 420) have withdrawn from the market since I started therapy 20+ years ago leaving Resmed and Philips as the primary players. Look at all the discontinued devices on CPAP.com.

8 year old data from an old SEC filing indicates ResMed and Philips owned 75% of the market back then:
"For instance, ResMed is the market leader (with ~45% of market share), followed by Philips (30%), and Fisher/Paykel (12%). The remaining 13% of the market space is being divided up between many other small players (InnoMed, DeVilbiss, Drive, and TAP, just to name a few). These companies all focus on a full range of sleep products."

Per a survey published in January 2020, before the recall & pandemic, their combined share at 95% of the market with Philips now the leader:
"According to the survey, Philips Respironics currently has 62.8% of the flow generator market. ResMed is the next biggest player with a 32.2% share of the market." link: https://www.medtechdive.com/news/philip ... ey/571200/

Since then many more manufacturers such as Apex and DeVilbiss have withdrawn from the market. Likely Philips lost a lot of share to ResMed due to the recall. No recent meaningful share data currently available since there have been almost no Philips CPAPS available for sale since shortly after the recall.

Bottom Line with a two manufacturer oligopoly prices will likely stay up from where they were pre-recall. In the two years prior to the recall I purchased an Apex CPAP for travel for just $160 and a Dreamstation 1, with humidifier, for just $349 (on sale). Doubt we will see pricing like that again.

P.S. The article from January 2020 indicated that there may have been a price war going on between ResMed and Philips, similar pattern to other industries where when this happens with the top players smaller manufacturers can't compete and are driven to leave the market.

Philips can offer lower prices by cutting some very tight corners.

I was offered $25. I took a new Dream Station II. It is a spare.

personally, i'd go for what's behind the curtain.