WESTLAKE, Ohio — An Ohio physician has been sentenced in a federal healthcare fraud case after admitting to approving medical orders that were not medically necessary, resulting in millions of dollars in improper Medicare billings.
Muna Orra, 42, of Westlake, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge John R. Adams to five years of probation after pleading guilty earlier this year to making false statements involving healthcare matters. The court also ordered her to repay $997,641 to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
Federal prosecutors said Orra approved orders for durable medical equipment, primarily braces, as well as genetic testing for patients who did not require the services.
According to court records, the conduct occurred between 2018 and 2021 while Orra worked as an independent contractor for a Georgia-based telemedicine company.
Investigators said the company provided patient information, treatment recommendations and pre-written orders for medical equipment and genetic testing. Orra would then electronically approve the orders, allowing the company to submit claims for reimbursement.
Authorities determined that Orra failed to properly evaluate whether the services were medically necessary and did not conduct required in-person assessments despite certifying that she had done so.
The investigation also found that patient files were often approved within seconds of being opened, raising concerns that meaningful reviews were not being conducted.
Federal officials said the fraudulent orders resulted in approximately $1.84 million in Medicare billings, including more than $1.7 million for unnecessary braces and roughly $93,000 for unnecessary genetic testing.
Medicare ultimately paid more than $997,000 on the claims.
The case was investigated by the FBI’s Cleveland Division and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Erica Barnhill prosecuted the case.
