During an episode of Tenth Talks — a Texas Tribune video series on the next 10 years of Texas — Dr. Courtney N. Phillips, the executive director of the Texas Health and Human Services Commission, talks about what it will … Read More
The Texas A&M University College of Dentistry has dedicated its new Clinic and Education Building in Dallas. The university says the 160,000-square-foot, nine-story facility will enable the dental school to increase under-served patients’ access to care and shift from a … Read More
Developed in the mid-1980s, the Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) standard has been the way many medical professionals have stored and transferred images for three decades now. This commonly used medical records system is also responsible for leaking … Read More
The Department of Justice recovered over $3 billion from False Claims cases in the 2019 fiscal year, with $2.6 billion coming form healthcare fraud schemes. In a recent announcement, the Justice Department reported that the billions of dollars stemming from … Read More
A doctor and the former owner of a Long Beach hospital was sentenced this morning to 15 months in federal prison for taking part in a long-running health care fraud scheme where he authorized sham contracts that concealed over $30 … Read More
NIXA, Mo. — A Nixa physician was indicted today by federal attorneys for a 2.4 million dollar health care fraud scheme. Prosecutors say 63-year-old Randall Halley wrote prescriptions for fentanyl spray and receiving thousands of dollars in return from a … Read More
To fix some crowding in her teeth, Taylor Weakley, an environmental scientist in Denver, ordered teeth aligners two years ago from SmileDirectClub, a start-up she had seen advertised on social media. At $1,850, the products were cheaper than braces, and … Read More
LONGVIEW, Texas — A Texas man who operated a private ambulance service must serve 30 months in federal prison and pay more than $750,000 in restitution after being convicted for fraudulently billing Medicare and Medicaid. Joseph Valdie Kimble, who operated … Read More
Acting United States Attorney A. Lance Crick announced today that ResMed Corp., a manufacturer of durable medical equipment (DME) for sleep apnea and other sleep-related disorders, has agreed to pay more than $37.5 million to resolve allegations under the False … Read More
A dentist recorded working on a patient while on a hoverboard was found guilty of Medicaid fraud and endangering patients Friday. Anchorage Superior Court Judge Michael Wolverton found Dr. Seth Lookhart’s guilty on 46 counts. Lookhart was found to have … Read More
A federal judge sentenced a former pharmaceutical sales representative from San Antonio to more than two years in prison Thursday and ordered her to pay $1.7 million in restitution for her part in a national $8.8 million bribery/health care fraud … Read More
A Worcester dentist, his office manager and a Chelmsford dentist are accused of defrauding the Massachusetts Medicaid program, known as MassHealth, federal prosecutors say. A grand jury in Boston indicted the trio Thursday. Dr. Anthony DiStefano III, 70, of Worcester, … Read More
A federal jury found a Texas rheumatologist guilty today for his role in a $325 million health care fraud scheme in which he falsely diagnosed patients with life-long diseases and treated them with toxic medications on the basis of that … Read More
In collaboration with The Smile Generation, the Mobile Dental Clinic made 15 stops across the United States, during which 422 Smile Generation-trusted dentists and volunteers provided comprehensive oral health care to patients in need. Adult and pediatric patients received same-day … Read More
SmileDirectClub is having yet another news-filled week, announcing it will begin selling its teeth-straightening products to dentists and orthodontists. Also, the company scored a legal victory with a New Jersey court finding it does not engage in the “corporate practice … Read More
Nearly everyone in Texas is affected by the Affordable Care Act (ACA). In 2018, Attorney General Ken Paxton led a 20-state coalition lawsuit against the federal government which claimed the ACA’s individual mandate was unconstitutional. A Texas federal judge ruled … Read More
January 28, 2020 – 1:30pmHealth and Human Services Commission Brown-Heatly Building Public Hearing Room Hearing. The Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) will conduct a public hearing to receive public comment on proposed Medicaid payment rates for the 2020 … Read More
As Florida lawmakers prepare to start the 2020 legislative session, the state is being confronted with a $70.4 million loss in the coming months in the amount of Medicaid money it gets to fund hospitals, train future physicians and treat … Read More
A Fort Worth couple have been indicted on federal charges related to illegal kickbacks involving clinical laboratories in Texas and Virginia. A McKinney man also was indicted by a federal grand jury last month on the same charge, according to … Read More
Dental experts are telling parents not to panic after a Las Vegas dentist allegedly set a fire in the mouth of a 5-year-old girl during a routine procedure, calling the incident an unprecedented “freak accident.” The girl’s father, Howard Kane, … Read More
ABILENE, Texas (KTAB/KRBC) – The Abilene Taylor County Public Health District is now offering no-cost dental services to those that qualify. The Grant, provided by United Way is will cover only basic dental services. According to a City of Abilene … Read More
Three North Texas residents have been indicted for conspiring to pay for patient referrals in violation of the Anti-Kickback Statute in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Joseph D. Brown. The indictment was unsealed today. The Anti-Kickback Statute … Read More
By Melissa Busch, DrBicuspid.com assistant editor January 6, 2020 — Direct-to-consumer orthodontics company SmileDirectClub is disrupting the industry again, debuting a new, complete line of oral care products that will be sold exclusively at Walmart’s more than 3,800 stores and … Read More
HARLINGEN — Friends yesterday remembered Juan Villarreal as a loving family man who served as a city and school board leader to give back to his community after building one of the area’s biggest dental clinics. Villarreal, 66, died Sunday … Read More
In video footage from 2016 that was played in court and broadcast by Anchorage’s KTUU television station, Dr. Seth Lookhart appears to extract a tooth from the mouth of his patient, Veronica Wilhelm, while moving slightly back and forth on … Read More
A new Texas law that aims to protect patients from receiving surprise medical bills takes effect this week. Consumer advocates have praised the law as one of the most robust set of billing protections in the nation, though it only … Read More
Federal watchdogs have tied a bow on a key part of one of the largest Medicare fraud schemes in history. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida announced Friday that Rodolfo Pichardo and Marta Pichardo — husband … Read More
The Department of Health and Human Services (“HHS”) Office of Inspector General (“OIG”) recently published its Fall 2019 Semiannual Report to Congress. The Report covers the period of April 1, 2019 through September 30, 2019, and identifies “significant problems, abuses, … Read More
A physician who Alaska prosecutors say filed millions of dollars in false claims for laboratory tests has been charged with felony and misdemeanor counts of medical assistance fraud. Dr. John Zipperer Jr. defrauded the Alaska Medicaid program by performing more … Read More
On December 18, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals issued its decision in the case of Texas v. United States, Docket No. 1-10011 (5th Cir. Dec. 18, 2019). The decision strikes at a core element of 2010 Patient Protection and … Read More
A Mt. Vernon dentist has agreed to give up his dental license this month after he was charged with arson and pleaded guilty to Medicaid fraud. Reports say Thomas Alms, 64, surrendered his license according to documents filed Dec. 10. … Read More
MCALLEN, Texas – A former employee of Dr. Jorge Zamora Quezada took the stand testifying he quit after he started noticing suspicious activity at Quezada’s clinics like excessive amounts of x-rays and certain ethical concerns. Rene Lucio, who was in … Read More
LAREDO, TX (KGNS) – A medical service provider in San Antonio and Laredo have two of their leaders arrested. Federal authorities are charging them with health care fraud. Through a release sent out on Friday by the Department of Justice, … Read More
A bipartisan panel of legal experts concluded in a report Friday that Texas House Speaker Dennis Bonnen likely violated state law and House rules when he offered a political activist media credentials in exchange for targeting certain incumbents in the … Read More
The first trial under the Connecticut False Claims Act has resulted with a Fairfield dentist being ordered to pay more than $1.7 million for defrauding the state’s Medicaid program. Aram Agadjanian, also known as Aram Yuri Agadzanov, was enrolled as … Read More
In an opinion blending arrogance and cowardice in equal measure, an appeals court ruled yesterday that the Affordable Care Act contains a constitutional flaw—and that most or all of the law may have to be scrapped. But the court was … Read More
As 2017 dawned, Texas billionaire John Paul DeJoria had a $123 million problem. The shampoo and liquor magnate had swept into Morocco nearly two decades earlier to drill wells and reap profits in a coastal kingdom that had never struck … Read More
CHIP outreach materials have been updated. The materials include a new brochure, poster, and income limit card. Hard copies of the materials can be ordered online for free by providers and community organizations. Email Susana.Penate@hhsc.state.tx.us with your questions. Source: CHIP … Read More
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A Tennessee woman is charged with TennCare fraud and identity theft for allowing another person to use her TennCare card to receive dental benefits. TennCare covers dental services for adults only when there is a medical emergency. … Read More
Texas health officials violated state law when they said they would award a multibillion dollar series of health insurance contracts to for-profit companies while overlooking nonprofit health plans, a lawsuit brought by two nonprofit health insurers alleges. Up for grabs … Read More
