5.30. GOOD EVENING. I'M BO
WILLIAMS AND I'M ELIZABETH
US. A KNOXVILLE WOMAN WHO
SUFFERS FROM SLEEP APNEA.
CHELSEA HAYNES: IT'S
TONIGHT ASKING WHAT DOES SHE
DO WITH HER C PAP MACHINE NOW
THAT IT'S BEEN RECALL TO 2
MONTHS AGO, THE FDA RECALLS
CERTAIN GROUP OF C PAP DEVICES
AND RECOMMENDED THAT PEOPLE
STOP USING THEM WATE 6 ON YOUR
SIDE. CONSUMER REPORTER DON
DARE TALKED WITH THE RETIREE
WHO SAYS SHE CAN'T AFFORD TO
BUY A NEW ONE.
THAT'S RIGHT, ELIZABETH.
SOME OF THE RECALLED C PAP
MACHINES ARE USED TO HELP
PEOPLE BREATHE CAN COST UP TO
SPARKS USES WAS PAID FOR BY
MEDICARE. SHE PICKED IT UP
FROM A LOCAL SUPPLIER. SHE'S
BEEN TOLD NOT TO USE THE
MACHINE BUT HAS BEEN TOLD THAT
SHE IS NOT ELIGIBLE FOR
FOR IT OUT OF HER OWN POCKET.
AND SHE'S ON A FIXED INCOME.
WE CONTACTED MEDICARE AND
FOUND SOME ANSWERS. BEFORE SHE
GOES TO BED AT NIGHT. KAREN
SPARKS PUTS ON THE C PAP
DEVICE TO HELP HER BREATHE. IT
WAS MEDICALLY PRESCRIBED BY A
DOCTOR. THE RETIRED FEDERAL
SLEEP APNEA. UNTREATED, IT CAN
LEAD TO SERIOUS HEALTH
CONSEQUENCES THROUGH MEDICARE.
2 YEARS AGO SHE RECEIVED THIS
DREAM STATION C PAP
MANUFACTURED BY PHILLIPS IN
EARLY JULY. SHE LEARNED THAT
THE FDA RECALLED HER DEVICE
AND OTHERS LIKE IT DUE TO
POTENTIAL HEALTH RISKS. THE
RECOMMENDATION FROM THE FDA
WAS TO STOP USING THE DEVICE.
THE FDA SAYS THE RECALL IS DUE
TO A TOXIC SOUND FOAM USED IN
THE BREATHING DEVICE. ONCE SHE
LEARNED OF THE PROBLEM, KAREN
CALLED HER DOCTOR AND HE SAID
IT'S A DEFECTIVE MACHINE.
YOU NEED TO HAVE A MACHINE
WHERE IT YOUR BRAIN RIGHT. AND
SAID WE'LL GET THIS FILTER.
WE'LL CHECK FOR THAT. BUT
KAREN SAYS THE FIELD OR
DOESN'T HELP OR SHE SAYS IT
MAKES THE MACHINE HEAT UP.
HERE'S THE WATER. AND THERE'S
METAL HERE AND OVER HEATS AND
THAT WEATHER HEATS UP. ITS
LIKE BURNING. THE WATER GETS
TOO HOT. YES, AND IT HURTS
YOU. YES, IT'S BURNING. SLEEP
APNEA IS A POTENTIALLY SERIOUS
SLEEP DISORDER IN WHICH
BREATHING REPEATEDLY STOPS AND
STARTS.
IN EARLY JULY, KAREN CALLED
MEDICARE ASKING ABOUT THE
DEVICE. SHE SAID.
NO TROUBLE FOR A NEW
MACHINE BECAUSE DEFECTIVE.
KAREN SAYS HER DOCTOR THEN
ORDERED A NEW MACHINE BY
ANOTHER MANUFACTURER SINCE
HERS IS DEFECTIVE. HOWEVER,
THE SUPPLIER TOLD HER SHE IS
NOT ELIGIBLE FOR A DEVICE BY
ANOTHER PRODUCER.
I'VE ONLY HAVE THE MACHINE
FOR 2 YEARS SINCE JUNE OF
MEDICARE THAT SAYS YOU HAVE TO
HAVE A FOR 5 YEARS IN ORDER TO
GET REPLACE. BUT THIS IS A
DEFECTIVE MACHINE. SO THAT
MEANS I HAVE TO WAIT ANOTHER 3
YEARS OR PAY $3,000 TO GET A
ON KAREN'S BEHALF 6 ON YOUR
SIDE. CONTACTED MEDICARE, A
SPOKESPERSON SAID CMS IS AWARE
OF THE RECALL AND MEDICARE
ENCOURAGES ITS BENEFICIARIES
TO CONTACT THEIR SUPPLIER.
MEDICARE SAYS IF A DEVICE IS
LESS THAN 5 YEARS OLD, LIKE
CAIRNS, THE SUPPLIER IS
REQUIRED BY FEDERAL
AND REPLACE IT AT NO CHARGE TO
THE BENEFICIARY. KAREN HAS
REGISTERED EFFECTIVE MCCAIN
WITH THE MANUFACTURER. SHE NOW
INTENDS TO CONTACT YOUR
SUPPLIER WITH THIS NEW
INFORMATION.
CHELSEA HAYNES: I WANT TO
WRITE SHEEN THAT WE'VE HEARD
THAT IS NOT EFFECTIVE. SO I
CAN KEEP ON TO GET BETTER.
AND THE MEDICARE
SPOKESPERSON ALSO TOLD US THAT
AS A RESULT OF THE NUMBER OF
PATIENTS AND DEVICES AFFECTED
BY THIS BIG RECALL. THERE MAY
BE A DELAY IN GETTING A NEW
DEVICE CARES NEXT. STEP WILL
BE GETTING A FORMAL LETTER
FROM HER DOCTOR THAN TAKING IT
TO HER SUPPLIER. ALONG WITH A
THAT SHE'S ELIGIBLE FOR
REPLACED MACHINE. WELL, SHE
GETS ONE. ALL RIGHT, DON,
THANK YOU VERY MUCH. AND IF
YOU HAVE A CONSUMER QUESTION
FOR DON, SO MANY MALE, INDEED
ALSO CALL A 6 ON YOUR SIDE
HOTLINE NUMBER, THAT NUMBER
FOR YOU ON THE SCREEN SAY 6,
5, 6, 3, 3, 5, 9, 7, 4,