US Senator calls for Department of Justice action against Philips for keeping CPAP machine complaints secret

When I got approved for a CPAP machine in early 2023 the people at the medical equipment place steered me away from Philips. It seemed like a “we see the writing on the wall” kind of situation…they didn’t think the future for Philips was too bright even then.

I’ve been using a ResMed machine and it’s been incredibly easy to use and keep clean. I used to chuckle when people would say that their CPAP machine “changed their life”…but it’s no exaggeration. A stupid fan in a little box that blows air into my face has become absolutely essential to my existence as a functioning human being.

I put my information in for the recall over 2 years ago now and still haven't received a replacement machine. There is no meaningful support for the process whatsoever. Any calls get redirected to a call center that can only see the same information you can already see when you look up your recall confirmation number.

I bought my machine outright instead of going through a medical supplier. The recall process confirmed it was covered and would be remediated. Once I even got through to someone on the phone who gave me an email and a fax number to submit my prescription so they could get it out of the step where they try to associate your device with a medical supplier. I sent it both ways and never heard anything again.

At some point earlier in the process I was given the option of them buying out my machine or just continuing to wait for a new one. They offered me like $40. That's about enough to buy a nose piece replacement and a 2-pack of filters, not a whole machine. And since then machines have doubled or tripled in price.

At this point I highly doubt they'll ever actually complete the recall. Every now and then I get an email from them that they may still need information from me, and it links me to their portal, but I've already provided everything and there's nothing I can actually do in the portal.