A doctor who billed Medicaid for more than 10 times the medical equipment he never bought, totaling $1.5 million, is headed to prison.
Robert Florea, 49, was convicted of third-degree felony Medicaid fraud. On June 24, Franklin County Common Pleas Court Judge Mark Serrott sentenced Florea to two years in prison.
According to court records, Florea used his South Side medical clinic to bill the Ohio Department of Medicaid for medical equipment he never purchased. The clinic, Buckeye Health and Research, was located on Highview Boulevard and is now closed.
Court records say Florea billed Medicaid for equipment, including joint and back pain braces. An investigation revealed that more than 5,100 pieces of equipment were billed over three years despite Florea having purchased fewer than 500 pieces.
The fraudulent claims resulted in a $1.5 million loss for the state’s Medicaid program.
As part of his sentence, Florea will be required to repay the $1.5 million, as well as court costs.
Florea has permanently surrendered his medical license.
Reporter Bethany Bruner can be reached at bbruner@gannett.com or on Bluesky at @bethanybruner.dispatch.com.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio doctor who billed Medicaid for 10 times the equipment he bought sent to prison
Reporting by Bethany Bruner, Columbus Dispatch / The Columbus Dispatch
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
