[News] ANOTHER problem for Philips / Respironics

[A KLERK]

I read about this in a Dutch newspaper today:
https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/philips-s...espiratory

Philips has agreed to pay a $24 million settlement related to paying kickbacks to DME suppliers, and gave physician suppliers free data and prescribing information to assist their marketing efforts. This seems related to the concerns Apnea Board raised earlier this Spring when looking at the Philips business plan and motives for encrypting device data.

Your thoughts?

[mesenteria]

I think most reasonably educated and experienced adults would see this as a problem with leadership at the firm.  Leaders set the tone, influence the culture, and issue edicts and proscriptions on work.  If they can be fined fairly for apparent infractions, then the leadership needs a review.  What worries me is that this will become the sole example of its kind across the industrialized world.  You would hope to see more suits and an eventual admission by Philips, as well as a public declaration that they intend to change their business model to be in keeping with the public's trust.

[Sleeprider]

Here is a link to the action alert we posted earlier this year where we raised concern for Philip's business plan that clearly proposed monitizing device data to help physicians diagnose and prescribe, and that appeared to be the rationale for encrypting data. I feel vindicated.  ACTION-ALERT Your CPAP Data is being held hostage

[SevereApnea]

Dank U wel Arie,

Wow! 4.3 million for Jeremy the whistleblower! Anyone know what position he held with Philips?

Chances of an appeal?

Could this be linked back to data encryption, and could this ultimately be reversed by the courts?

[TimaaaaaaaahRocks]

Wow! 4.3 million for Jeremy the whistleblower! Anyone know what position he held with Philips?

Chances of an appeal?

Could this be linked back to data encryption, and could this ultimately be reversed by the courts?

Anyone can appeal any court decision, however Philips/Respironics agreed to the settlement hence there will not be any appeal. This is basically a plea bargain which indicates that they knew they were wrong, would most likely lose at trail, and any other course of action would be more expensive. Encryption is irrelevant. They admitted guilt by agreeing to the settlement, and they will be independently monitored for compliance for five years. 

Hats off to Jeremy! Be Like Jeremy if you find yourself working for white collar gangsters (Jeremy has held more than one position at philips) Jeremy saved insurance companies, US taxpayers, and philips money in the long run. Jeremy is going to bank nearly as much as soon to be former ceo Frans Van Houten made in compensation last year. Kinda ironic. Gotta believe that Jeremy brought this illegal activity to the attention of his managers prior to going to the feds. 

Where would philips stock price be in September 2022 had Vincent Testa, the foamgate engineer who concluded that huffing foam dust was not good, “As you can imagine, this is not a good situation for our users,” had blown the whistle in 2018? 

And who/what/why/where/when did Vincent's managers decide huffing foam dust is acceptable? 

[SevereApnea]

Thanks for explaining the legal side of things Tim.


Could it be that the plea bargain/settlement was agreed to by Philips to prevent digging further e.g. data encryption or is this all unrelated?

Or is Philips - and potentially other manufacturers' - data encryption here to stay?