Magnifying Glass
Back to Sponsored Content

Cleveland Chiropractor Sentenced Following BWC Fraud Investigation

21 Apr, 2009 WorkersCompensation.com

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

"Medical provider fraud against the workers' compensation system is a serious offense that not only is a crime, but can place injured workers in danger of not receiving the appropriate care they need to return to work," said Tom Wersell, director of the SID. "Identifying and prosecuting this kind of fraud is important for maintaining a pool of quality medical providers whose chief concerns lie with the health and wellbeing of injured workers."

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.

Following the surveillance on the clinic, two undercover agents posing as injured workers visited the office for treatment. As suspected, the investigators discovered that the clinic was billing for services by Dr. Kavounas when the actual examination was performed by Dr. Mulcahy. Investigators also determined the partners were billing for no-show appointments and for services that were never received by the undercover agents.

With assistance from the Cleveland Police Department and the Office of the Ohio Attorney General, investigators conducted a search warrant on December 10, 2008. Following the search warrant, Dr. Kavounas was arrested after making several threatening phone calls to BWC agents. On March 18, he pleaded guilty to one count of workers' compensation fraud, a fifth-degree felony and one count of intimidation, a first-degree misdemeanor. Dr. Kavounas was also ordered to pay $1,600 in restitution and $4,800 in investigative costs.

The SID continues its investigation of Dr. Mulcahy.

    • Read Also

    IOH Announces Appointment of Scott Strickland as Chief Operating Officer (COO) 

    SAN DIEGO, CA — July 1, 2024 — Institutes of Health (“IOH”), a leading transdisciplinary Workers’ Compensation treatment organization focused on patients suffering from complex and chronic conditions, is delighted to announce the appointment of […]
    Rising Medical Solutions Becomes Bronze Associate Partner of WorkCompCollege.com 

    Lakewood Ranch, FL (July 2, 2024) – WorkCompCollege.com, a division of Workers’ Compensation Educational Services, LLC, has announced a Bronze Associate Partnership with Rising Medical Solutions (Rising). Their mission to “make lives better” is consistent […]
    The Key Role of a Workers’ Comp Case Manager 

    Close attention through the claim lifecycle ensures the best claimant outcomes   In the world of workers’ compensation, where endless variables seem to be at play, Horizon Casualty Services, Inc., (HCS) acknowledges that having a clear […]

    About The Author

    • WorkersCompensation.com

    More by This Author

    Ametros’ Melissa Coleman Honored by the IAIABC as a 2024 NextGen Winner

    Wilmington, Mass. (June 24, 2024) – The IAIABC has recognized Melissa Coleman as a 2024 NextGen Award Winner. Coleman is the Senior Vice President of Marketing for Ametros, which helps people manage their medical funds following workers’ […]
    ReEmployAbility Announces Free Webinar: ‘Overcoming Jurisdictional Return-to-Work Challenges’

    ReEmployAbility, Inc.Contact: Rebecca Dearth(813) 261-3117 | news@reemployability.com Brandon, FL (May 10, 2023)- ReEmployAbility CEO and Founder Debra Livingston will be hosting a second free, live Work Comp Central webinar in their continued series to educate […]
    NCCI Annual Golf Event Tees Up $25,000 for Kids’ Chance of America

    (Orlando, FL–May 10, 2023)—The National Council on Compensation Insurance (NCCI) has given $25,000 to Kids’ Chance of America, supporting college scholarships for the children of injured workers. NCCI made the donation in conjunction with its Annual […]

    Read More

    IOH Announces Appointment of Scott Strickland as Chief Operating Officer (COO) 

    SAN DIEGO, CA — July 1, 2024 — Institutes of Health (“IOH”), a leading transdisciplinary Workers’ Compensation treatment organization focused on patients suffering from complex and chronic conditions, is delighted to announce the appointment of […]
    Rising Medical Solutions Becomes Bronze Associate Partner of WorkCompCollege.com 

    Lakewood Ranch, FL (July 2, 2024) – WorkCompCollege.com, a division of Workers’ Compensation Educational Services, LLC, has announced a Bronze Associate Partnership with Rising Medical Solutions (Rising). Their mission to “make lives better” is consistent […]
    The Key Role of a Workers’ Comp Case Manager 

    Close attention through the claim lifecycle ensures the best claimant outcomes   In the world of workers’ compensation, where endless variables seem to be at play, Horizon Casualty Services, Inc., (HCS) acknowledges that having a clear […]
    Ametros’ Melissa Coleman Honored by the IAIABC as a 2024 NextGen Winner

    Wilmington, Mass. (June 24, 2024) – The IAIABC has recognized Melissa Coleman as a 2024 NextGen Award Winner. Coleman is the Senior Vice President of Marketing for Ametros, which helps people manage their medical funds following workers’ […]
    PhysNet Achieves Fifth Consecutive Year of SOC 2 Type II Certification

    Jacksonville, FL, June 3, 2024 – PhysNet proudly announces its attainment of SOC 2 Type II compliance for the fifth consecutive year, reinforcing its commitment to providing enterprise-level security for customer data within its cloud-based […]
    WorkCompCollege.com Welcomes Alistair Ienstein as New Academic Innovator 

    June 20, 2024 – WorkCompCollege.com is thrilled to announce the appointment of Alistair Ienstein as its new Academic Innovator. Alistair, a unique and revolutionary AI presence, is poised to transform the learning experience for students […]

    Request a Demo

    To request a free demo of one of our products, please fill in this form. Our sales team will get back to you shortly.