$2M Medicare Scam: Nurse Practitioner Faked Exams, Ordered Equipment Patients Didn’t Need

$2M Medicare Fraud: Fake Braces, No Patients, Just Lies 

Shanone Chatman-Ashley, a 45-year-old nurse practitioner from Opelousas, Louisiana, was convicted by a federal jury in May 2025 for orchestrating a $2 million Medicare fraud scheme involving durable medical equipment (DME), highlighting significant vulnerabilities in telehealth practices.

Details of the Fraud Scheme

Between 2017 and 2019, Chatman-Ashley worked as an independent contractor for companies that claimed to provide telehealth services to Medicare beneficiaries. Instead of conducting legitimate patient assessments, she signed more than 1,000 orders for medically unnecessary DME—including knee braces and suspension sleeves—for patients she had never examined. In some instances, she even ordered equipment for patients with conditions that made such equipment impossible to use, such as a left knee brace for a patient whose left leg had been amputated.

To facilitate the fraud, Chatman-Ashley falsified documentation, certifying that she had conducted patient consultations and assessments when she had not. These fraudulent orders were submitted to Medicare, resulting in over $2 million in claims and more than $1 million in improper reimbursements. In exchange for her participation, Chatman-Ashley received illegal kickbacks and bribes from the telehealth companies involved.

Legal Proceedings and Sentencing

Chatman-Ashley was indicted in December 2023 and charged with five counts of healthcare fraud. The trial revealed the extent of her involvement and the deliberate steps she took to conceal the scheme. She was found guilty on all counts and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison for each count, with sentencing scheduled for July 31, 2025.

U.S. Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook for the Western District of Louisiana said, “This defendant not only defrauded the Medicare Program but went against everything the medical profession stands for, which is a promise to provide ethical and responsible patient care. She took advantage of beneficiaries who were elderly and handicapped to order items for them that were not medically necessary.”

The conviction of Shanone Chatman-Ashley sends a strong deterrent message to healthcare professionals about the consequences of defrauding federal programs and betraying patient trust. It also highlights the effectiveness of coordinated efforts by agencies such as the Department of Justice, HHS Office of Inspector General, and the Health Care Fraud Strike Force in combating healthcare fraud.

 

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