In an unprecedented sweep of healthcare fraud, Seattle’s medical community reels from charges and settlements as part of the Department of Justice’s 2025 National Health Care Fraud Takedown; the Acting U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Washington, Teal Luthy Miller, announced serious allegations involving two separate cases related to healthcare fraud, according to a statement released by the U.S. Attorney’s Office. One local anesthesiology resident is accused of diverting drugs for personal use, while a Seattle-based healthcare provider settled over false billing practices involving experimental treatments.
The anesthesiology resident, Andrew Voegel-Podadera, is allegedly at the center of one scandal, charged with obtaining controlled substances by fraud, “Our work in health care fraud is both to protect patients and protect important government programs,” Acting U.S. Attorney Miller stated, laying out the gravity of the situation where Voegel-Podadera reportedly stole narcotics, was under the influence while treating patients at several prominent Seattle hospitals, creating an egregious violation of public trust and patient safety. Raising similar ethical and legal concerns, Pinnacle Health PC, a provider of regenerative treatments, faced a hefty civil settlement after billing more than half a million dollars for treatments deemed experimental by federal healthcare programs, asstated by the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Voegel-Podadera’s alleged scheme seemed straight from a plotline of a medical drama, secretly taking powerful drugs like fentanyl and hydromorphone, which Special Agent in Charge at the DEA Seattle Field Division, David F. Reames, described as “despicable,” emphasizing the betrayal of both a doctor’s sworn oath and the law during a time when opioid abuse already plagues the nation. Meanwhile, Pinnacle Health PC’s costly lapse in judgment resulted in a settlement of $1,115,976 after investigations showed the company billed for a version of an amniotic fluid product not approved for any diagnoses, as reported by the U.S. Attorney’s Office…