This page provides information to Texans receiving HHS services. HHS has provided guidance to child care facilities, long-term care facilities, and other entities that our agency regulates. You can find that guidance here. This is a rapidly evolving situation and … Read More
Greetings, Our organization’s top priority is to protect the public and the health and well-being of HHS program beneficiaries – and this duty has never been more important as we all confront the COVID-19 pandemic. While many Americans are nobly … Read More
The American Dental Association has released interim guidance for dentists on how to minimize the risk of COVID-19 transmission before, during and after treating dental emergencies. The ADA Interim Guidance for Minimizing Risk of COVID-19 Transmission covers dentist and dental … Read More
Since the passage of the Affordable Care Act, Gov. Greg Abbott and the Texas Legislature have rejected Medicaid expansion even though Texas has the highest rate of uninsured residents in the nation. With the spread of COVID-19 and the threat … Read More
March 30, 2020 Our agency knows that health care organizations and the dedicated professionals providing care to patients are facing extraordinary challenges in managing the coronavirus pandemic. We are inspired by the facilities and their staffs-the doctors, nurses, technicians, therapists, … Read More
Forward Science typically manufactures medical and pharmaceutical products focused on oral health care in its facility in Stafford, Texas. In response to the shortage of hand sanitizer in hospitals, the Forward Science team pivoted and began creating batches of hand … Read More
AUSTIN, Texas — At a time many places are closing due to coronavirus, there’s at least one organization looking to stay open by providing food and low-cost dental services to the public. Because of the virus, Manos de Cristo in … Read More
The Agency for Health Care Administration (Florida) made unallowable capitation payments on behalf of beneficiaries who were assigned multiple Medicaid identification (ID) numbers. Of the 100 beneficiary matches in our sample, Florida correctly made capitation payments on behalf of 1. … Read More
The country is facing an unprecedented health and economic emergency due to COVID-19. Late Wednesday, March 25, the U.S. Senate passed the third legislative package – known as the CARES Act – that has been developed to respond to the … Read More
EXECUTIVE ORDER- The Commissioner of the Texas Department of State Health Services has declared a Public Health Disaster. All schools, bars, dining areas of restaurants, gyms and fitness centers are ordered to close in Texas to prevent community spread of … Read More
Julien Gomez speaks without reservation about how much they value their therapist. “My mental health services have saved my life,” said Gomez, 27, who uses gender-neutral pronouns. “With everything that’s going on right now, I definitely want to keep seeing … Read More
Though the U.S. health care system is projected to be overwhelmed by an influx of patients infected with the novel coronavirus, the pressure on hospitals will vary dramatically across the country. That’s according to new data released by the Harvard … Read More
On March 10, a federal jury convicted a Houston pharmacist, dubbed the “Compound King,” in a $21 million healthcare fraud and kickback scheme, according to the Department of Justice. After a six-day trial, the jury convicted compounding pharmacist George Phillip … Read More
The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts has filed a civil health care fraud complaint against SpineFrontier, Inc. and Impartial Medical Expert, LLC alleging the companies paid over $8 million in kickbacks through sham consulting fees. The … Read More
WASHINGTON — Despite mounting pleas from California and other states, the Trump administration isn’t allowing states to use Medicaid more freely to respond to the coronavirus crisis by expanding medical services. In previous emergencies, including the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Hurricane … Read More
Attorneys for Knox County Hospital in Texas say that the state’s recent $10 million fine levied against Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) demonstrates the need for a much broader review of the insurer. The Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) announced … Read More
Today, Rep. Laura Hall, D-Huntsville, introduced a bill, HB448, to extend Medicaid coverage for new and expectant mothers for up to a year postpartum, while Rep. Mary Moore, D-Birmingham, introduced a bill, HB447, to fully expand Medicaid coverage. Rep. Neil … Read More
HOUSTON – Millennium Physicians Association PLLC has paid the United States $1,248,964 to resolve claims that they improperly billed the Medicare program for sleep studies, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick. “Providers must adhere to the Medicare rules and regulations … Read More
After undergoing public scrutiny across social media, a dentist and dental hygienist at Waynesboro Family Dentistry have been relieved of their duties at the practice. According to Dr. Zack Bentley, owner of the local practice, both the dentist and hygienist … Read More
Local law enforcement arrested a man in Jacksonville, FL, on March 4 for allegedly practicing dentistry without a license — for the second time. Jose Santos Vicenty was arrested on charges of performing dentistry without a license in his home, … Read More
TYLER, Texas – A 54-year-old Houston Registered Nurse has pleaded guilty to federal violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Joseph D. Brown today. Beryl-Anne Tufon Lobe pleaded guilty to conspiracy to pay for patient referrals in … Read More
My thinking about how artificial intelligence (AI) technologies will improve dentistry—even fundamentally revolutionize it—has broadened considerably over the past several years. As Lou Shuman, DMD, CAGS, explained in his February 2019 Dental Economics op-ed article, “How artificial intelligence is shaping … Read More
A Glendale man was sentenced to three-plus years in prison for stealing the identities of at least 11 dentists and filing fraudulent claims to banks that offer lines of credit to dentists, according to a statement from the U.S. Department … Read More
EL PASO, Texas – The Woody L. Hunt School of Dental Medicine at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso has received the final accreditation necessary to open the dental school next year. Here is a statement from Texas … Read More
The Dental Board of California is alerting dentists about a new wave of calls in a fraud scheme CDA first reported last September. Scammers, posing as board members, are telling licensees that they are under investigation for drug trafficking by … Read More
A patient was infected with HIV and two others contracted hepatitis C because of poor sanitation and sterilization at a public health clinic in Texas, a lawsuit says. The patients went to clinics operated by the Galveston County Health District … Read More
U.S. Attorney John H. Durham, Special Agent in Charge Phillip Coyne of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, Special Agent in Charge Brian C. Turner of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau … Read More
St. Louis County, Missouri physician was sentenced to jail for 24 months and ordered to pay over $175,000 for making false Medicare claims and writing prescriptions for patients without ever seeing them in person. NBC affiliate KSDK reports that Dr. … Read More
A Texas doctor took at least $470,992 in kickbacks to refer urine drug test samples to laboratories owned by a Texas businessman, including one in Lexington, a federal grand jury has charged. The grand jury indicted Ghyasuddin Syed and his … Read More
The Department of Human Services (DHS), which runs Minnesota’s Medicaid program, made up to $28.9 million in improper payments to managed care organizations between state fiscal years 2017 and 2019, a new report sent to the Capitol estimates. DHS uses … Read More
When Susan Peake moved to Austin from Denver in 2018, she traded one kind of safety net for another. In Colorado, she’d received state-funded health insurance coverage, which she credits with saving her from financial ruin after she suffered a … Read More
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — State regulators are warning consumers about a telephone scam in which the caller claims to be from the Illinois Board of Dentistry. Officials with the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation say the scammer “spoofs” the … Read More
To tell Salem Abraham his mathematical insights are wrong is to speak fighting words. Numerical analysis is the organizing principle of his life, the way he multiplied his millions, the way he understands the world and himself. He used math … Read More
The Trump administration’s top Medicaid official has been increasingly critical of the entitlement program she has overseen for three years. Seema Verma, administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, has warned that the federal government and states need … Read More
The first years of life play an outsize role in human health. They are foundational to the development of the brain and the cardiovascular, immune and metabolic systems. Early childhood is when medical interventions to correct problems in any of … Read More
CANTON, MA — A Canton dentist who offered a “loyalty program” that offered monetary incentives and raffle prizes in exchange for frequent treatments and referrals has agreed to pay $135,000 to settle charges involving the scheme that led to improper … Read More
MCNA Dental announced today the appointment of the Honorable Rick Perry, former United States Secretary of Energy and former Governor of Texas, as Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors for MCNA Insurance Company, the country’s largest insurer for Medicaid … Read More
NEW YORK — The top dentist and public face of SmileDirectClub is at risk of losing his California license following a two-year state dental board investigation, records reviewed by Reuters show. The California disciplinary process underway against dentist Jeffrey A. … Read More
The Vermont Board of Dental Examiners has revoked the license of a Woodstock dentist, citing his use of unsterilized instruments and a history of “unprofessional conduct.” Dr. William McDonald, a 77-year-old Woodstock resident whose primary dental office is in Rutland, … Read More
A Swansea dentist accused of defrauding Illinois Medicaid of thousands of dollars over a period of several years has pleaded guilty to the scheme. Yun Sup Kim, 48, of St. Louis, appeared at the federal courthouse in Benton on Thursday … Read More
