An Opelousas, La.-based nurse practitioner has been convicted for her involvement in a more than $2 million fraud scheme, the Justice Department announced in a May 2 news release.
What happened?
- From 2017 to 2019, Shanone Chatman-Ashley signed more than 1,000 orders for medically unnecessary durable medical equipment in exchange for kickbacks and bribes. These actions led to over $2 million in fraudulent Medicare claims and more than $1 million in reimbursements.
- While working as an independent contractor for companies that claimed to provide telehealth services to Medicare beneficiaries, Ms. Chatman-Ashley submitted false claims for items such as knee braces, suspension sleeves and other DME for patients she had not examined. She concealed the scheme by fraudulently signing documents that falsely indicated she had consulted with the beneficiaries and conducted medical assessments.
What’s next?
- Ms. Chatman-Ashley was convicted on five counts of healthcare fraud. She is scheduled to be sentenced on July 31 and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison for each count.
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