Ohio Chiropractor Sentenced for Workers' Compensation Fraud

Published: 2009-05-22 23:50:35
Author: Insurance Journal | April 21, 2009

A Cleveland, Ohio, chiropractor who has been under investigation by the Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation's (BWC) special investigations department (SID) has been sentenced after pleading guilty to workers' compensation fraud and intimidation, the BWC announced.

Dr. Thomas Kavounas was sentenced to six months in jail suspended, two years of community control and 50 hours of community work service. Kavounas, of the Neck, Back & Body Accident & Injury Therapy Clinic, located at 13357 Lorain Road in Cleveland, has been under investigation since June for billing for services not rendered, the BWC said.

BWC also has been investigating Kavounas' business partner, Dr. Richard Mulcahy, for allegedly treating injured workers after he had been decertified as a workers' compensation medical provider due to a previous felony conviction.

After receiving an allegation, SID conducted surveillance at the clinic and found that on several occasions, BWC patients were being treated when Dr. Mulcahy was the only physician in the office. A review of the treatment notes and bills submitted for those dates of surveillance showed bills and treatment notes were submitted to BWC reflecting that Dr. Kavounas was the treating physician.

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