Samson Orusa, MD, was sentenced to seven years in prison and to pay more than $1 million in restitution for 13 counts of healthcare fraud.
Dr. Orusa, 61, billed federal health insurers $1,885,245 for hundreds of medically unnecessary services, including requiring patients to visit his clinic in Clarksville, Tenn., as many as six times per month to obtain their prescriptions, according to an Aug. 25 news release from the Justice Department. He also altered progress visit notes in patients' medical records to justify higher billing rates.
Dr. Orusa was charged with 45 criminal violations, including the 13 healthcare fraud charges, in 2018, according to the release. He was convicted of all fraud charges and all but nine charges for illegal distribution of oxycodone.
In addition to his 84-month prison sentence, Dr. Orusa was ordered to serve three years of supervised release, pay more than $1 million in restitution, was fined $195,000 and must forfeit previously seized assets worth approximately $900,000, according to the release.