Doc Sentenced

⏱ 2 min read

Dr. Eric Haeger, a 57-year-old physician from Brewster, Washington, has been sentenced to 1 year and a day in federal prison for adulterating and misbranding medical devices with the intent to defraud or mislead. In Spokane, WA, Haeger purchased over 500 used and recalled CPAP and BiPAP devices, which were then tampered with and resold to Medicaid patients as new devices. The scheme, which lasted from July 2021 to July 2023, defrauded Medicaid out of $349,272.79.

Haeger’s sleep clinic, Central Washington Medical Associates, was used to distribute the adulterated devices to patients, with staff under his direction billing Medicaid for the used devices as if they were new. The devices, which were recalled due to potential health risks, were tampered with in non-sterile environments, putting patients’ lives at risk.

The recall of the CPAP and BiPAP devices was initiated by Philips Respironics in June 2021, due to the potential health risks associated with the foam used in the devices. The recall was classified as a Class I recall, meaning that there was a reasonable probability that the use of the devices could cause serious adverse health consequences or death.

Haeger pleaded guilty to the charges and was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Rebecca L. Pennell. In addition to his prison sentence, Haeger was fined $60,000 and ordered to pay $349,272.79 in restitution.