Ohio Doctor, Clinic Associate Plead Guilty in $1.6M Medicaid Fraud

Columbus physician Patrick Muffley and clinic office manager Lisa Fillhart pleaded guilty to defrauding Ohio Medicaid of $1,645,052 through more than 27,000 claims for telehealth visits that were never provided between 2021 and 2026. Investigators said Muffley falsified appointment records to support the claims, while Fillhart posed as a nurse and gave medical advice without a license. Fillhart was sentenced to 12 months of community control; Muffley agreed to repay the stolen funds before his scheduled sentencing. The state suspended Muffley’s Medicaid provider agreement, and the clinic is expected to close.