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Philips Kept Complaints About Dangerous Breathing Machines Secret While Company Profits Soared
(www.propublica.org)
this post was submitted on 28 Sep 2023
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The recall really fucked CPAP prices. Phillips and Resmed make up probably 99% of the CPAP machine market with a few other companies fighting over the scraps. And to be fair, none of those other companies come close to making a machine as good as a Resmed or Phillips one. Redmed and Phillips probably have a 49.5% share each of the market. So when Phillips was suddenly yoinked from the market, it left a HUGE hole none of the others could fill. To make matters worse it happened during supply shortages. I know Resmed was having problems with getting chips for the modems their machines use to remotely report to doctors. In addition they were switching over to a new model, so production of the older model was ending, too.
To put it in perspective, I picked up a used Resmed Airsense 10 with low hours for about $150 a month or so before the recall. Hell, I'd even see people giving them away on Craigslist sometimes. Nowadays you're not paying less than $400-$500 for a used machine last I checked. That is close to the price you'd pay for a new machine before. Everything associated with CPAP machines went through the roof, as well, even though there was no shortage for those.
To add insult to injury, you can't get the parts to fix this things. This is another market where right-to-repair needs to be opened up. I get it, though, they are medical devices and faulty 2nd hand parts could cause injury or even death, but for those of us with the skill and wherewithal, we should have access to the parts. I've torn down both my machines and cleaned them out. The main failing part is the blower motor. I mean that thing sees 10s of thousands of hours of use. My main machine has been used on average for 8 hours a day, every day for around 6-7 years, total. Yet replacing it is dirt simple - pull the old one out, unplug it, plug the new one in, put it in the machine, boom, done. Having authorized repair techs would be dirt simple. It just wouldn't be as profitable as forcing insurance companies and individuals to shell out hundreds of dollars for a new machine. Which circles around to another pet peeve of mine - profit motive and healthcare need to be wholly divorced from each other.
Sorry, this went on longer than I wanted it to, but once I got started, I couldn't stop.
Wow, no one should have to go through all that. I’m sorry you do.
Which circles around to another pet peeve of mine - profit motive and healthcare need to be wholly divorced from each other.
I wholly agree.