Westlake doctor sentenced to probation for bilking Medicare out of $1.8 Million

An Ohio physician has been sentenced for her role in a healthcare fraud scheme that billed Medicare for over $1,842,524.

Muna Orra, 42, of Westlake, Ohio, was sentenced to five years on probation after pleading guilty in January to making false representations about health care. She was also required to pay $997,641 in restitution to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

According to court records, Orra used her position as a certified medical doctor in Ohio to issue doctor’s orders for durable medical equipment (DME), mostly braces, and genetic testing for individuals who did not require the equipment or tests she approved.

Orra worked as an independent contractor physician for a Georgia-based telemedicine company from about February 2018 to September 2021. The telemedicine company gave her with documentation comprising patient information such as medical exam notes and recommended treatment regimens, as well as a comprehensive written order for DME or genetic testing. Orra would check the patient files and electronically authorize the orders, which she would then submit to the telemedicine business for billing purposes. The telemedicine company subsequently submitted bills for the equipment and testing, using Orra’s directions as alleged proof that they were medically essential.

The investigation discovered that Orra did not conduct a meaningful evaluation of the patient records to establish whether the prepared orders were medically acceptable and necessary, nor did she conduct the needed assessments, which could only be performed in person, despite signing orders suggesting that she did. The examination also discovered that when Orra opened the electronic patient files, she frequently completed her electronic signature on the applicable order within seconds of opening the file.

In total, Orra billed Medicare $93,473 for medically unnecessary genetic testing orders and $1,749,051 for medically unnecessary braces for patients. Medicare paid about $64,189 for genetic testing and $933,452 for braces.