Maumee, Ohio – Ankita Singh, 42, formerly of Maumee, has been sentenced to 26 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Jack Zouhary for her involvement in a durable medical equipment (DME) scheme that defrauded the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Medicare Program.
In addition to the prison term, Singh must pay restitution amounting to $4,470,931.02, serve two years of supervised release, and pay a special assessment fee of $600, according to a July 19, 2024, press release from the US Attorney’s Office from the Northern District of Ohio.
- Sentence: 26 months in prison
- Restitution: $4.47 million
- Charges: Six counts of healthcare fraud
On February 29, 2024, a jury found Singh guilty of six counts of healthcare fraud for signing false orders for orthotic braces that patients never requested and did not need. Singh's fraudulent actions were part of a larger DME scheme that began in 2019.
Singh worked as an independent contractor for at least two companies, ostensibly providing “telehealth services.” However, these consultations never took place. Telemarketers would cold-call Medicare beneficiaries, offering orthotic braces at no cost. The beneficiaries, who were not Singh’s patients, never spoke to her, nor did they receive a telehealth visit or an in-person examination.
Telemarketers prepared orders with the beneficiaries’ names, Medicare numbers, and fabricated diagnoses to justify the need for braces. These orders were then sent electronically to Singh, who signed more than 11,000 prescriptions for approximately 3,000 Medicare beneficiaries.
Singh falsely certified that she was treating these patients and that the braces were medically necessary.
As a result, over $8 million was billed to Medicare for unnecessary orthotic devices, and Medicare paid approximately $4.47 million in fraudulent claims based on Singh’s false orders.
This sentencing highlights a significant healthcare fraud scheme that exploited telehealth services and defrauded Medicare. The impact on the South Asian community and healthcare systems is considerable, underscoring the need for vigilance and stringent measures to prevent such frauds.
This case calls for further research into the prevalence of telehealth fraud and the implementation of robust checks to safeguard against similar schemes.