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Maumee doctor sentenced in medical brace fraud scheme

Ankita Singh, 46, was convicted on six counts of health care fraud and sentenced to 26 months in prison and a restitution payment of more than $4 million.

TOLEDO, Ohio — A doctor who had practiced in Maumee was sentenced Friday for a medical equipment fraud scheme that put Medicare out more than $4 million.

In a press release, the Department of Justice said a federal judge sentenced 42-year-old Ankita Singh to 26 months in prison following a Feb. 29 conviction on six counts of health care fraud. Prosecutors said Singh filled thousands of prescriptions for orthotic braces beginning in 2019 for Medicare beneficiaries — all of whom were not previously her patients, nor had she ever spoken to them.

Singh was also ordered to pay $4,470,931.02 in restitution and serve two years of supervised release.

Singh independently contracted as a physician for at least two companies that supposedly provided telehealth services to patients. Telemarketers used the information of Medicare beneficiaries to prepare prescriptions for orthotic braces with a false diagnosis, which Singh would sign and affirm were medically necessary. However, Singh never provided any consultations to patients, the DOJ said.

In total, Singh signed 11,000 prescriptions for 3,000 Medicare beneficiaries who were never examined. And often, multiple prescriptions were filed for one patient.

These false orders of the braces resulted in more than $8 million billed to Medicare, which then paid approximately $4.47 million in claims for the fraudulent devices.

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