Kalamazoo, MI — Two doctors, Theresa Kordish, D.O., of Kalamazoo, Michigan, and Utibe Effiong, M.D., formerly of Mt. Pleasant, have pleaded guilty to charges related to a large-scale telemedicine fraud scheme. Both doctors admitted to making false statements relating to healthcare matters by authorizing medical orders for patients they never met or examined. These orders were approved through telemedicine programs, with some taking only seconds to authorize.
The fraudulent scheme is part of a broader nationwide crackdown known as Operation Happy Clickers. Marketers working with medical supply companies and genetic testing laboratories contacted Medicare beneficiaries to gather personal information. Using this information, they filled out fraudulent medical orders for expensive items such as orthotic braces and genetic tests, which could cost Medicare beneficiaries and the government thousands of dollars. These marketers then sold the signed orders to medical supply companies and testing labs.
Dr. Kordish, who worked in Kalamazoo, and Dr. Effiong, who is no longer practicing in Mt. Pleasant, admitted to approving these orders without proper patient examinations or medical justification. In doing so, both doctors violated federal healthcare laws. As part of their convictions, both doctors have agreed to civil settlements: Dr. Kordish will pay $50,000, and Dr. Effiong will pay $150,000.
Dr. Kordish is scheduled to be sentenced on February 10, 2025, and Dr. Effiong will be sentenced on February 18, 2025. These convictions come after a nationwide takedown of doctors, nurse practitioners, and medical marketers involved in fraudulent Medicare claims. The investigation uncovered over $10.5 million in alleged Medicare losses linked to fraudulent orders for medical supplies and services.
As healthcare fraud cases like this continue to be uncovered, federal authorities remain vigilant in cracking down on schemes that exploit telemedicine to defraud Medicare and other healthcare programs.
