Kalamazoo doctor charged for role in telehealth fraud scheme

KALAMAZOO, Mich (FOX 2) - Dr. Theresa A. Kordish plead guilty to nearly $800,000 worth of Medicare fraud in a case brought by the U.S. Attorney's office in the Western District of Michigan.

U. S. Attorney Mark Totten said that Kordish admitted to costing Medicare over $794,000, by using a telehealth application to improperly approve orders for medical braces and genetic testing. The charges filed in this case are part of the U.S. Justice Department’s 2024 National Health Care Fraud Enforcement Action.

According to court records, Kordish signed and certified that each order was medically indicated and necessary for a particular Medicare beneficiary.

In reality, Kordish clicked to approve orders in a matter of seconds, without conducting any meaningful review. Kordish was charged by Felony Information with making a false statement in a matter involving the Medicare program. Kordish will be arraigned on the charge and a plea hearing will be held in July.

"Medicare is a lifeline to millions of Americans, and its viability depends on the good faith and honesty of doctors to ensure that funds are spent appropriately," Totten said. "When doctors violate their sacred trust, they damage the integrity of our entire healthcare system. My office has zero tolerance for medical fraud."

According to Kordish’s admissions in her plea agreement, she worked with a purported telehealth company called Real Time Physicians LLC, to approve orders for medical braces and genetic testing. Real Time did not operate a legitimate telehealth company, but instead created and maintained an internet-based exchange that produced fraudulent medical records, which were used to cause Medicare to pay fraudulent claims. Despite certifying that she had conducted the required medical review for each order she signed, Dr. Kordish approved most orders in less than 60 seconds, and still others in as little as 20 seconds—approximately the minimum time necessary to click through and apply an electronic signature. In June 2022, a federal court sentenced Real Time’s owner, Marc Sporn, to 14 years in prison for his role in the scheme.