Texas House Speaker Joe Straus is calling on House members to investigate the Texas Health and Human Services Commission after a state audit report revealed mishandling of a contract with a health insurance company. The State Auditor’s Office released a … Read More
A former dentist from South Dakota plead guilty last week to a $16.6 million scheme to defraud consumers through the sale of a sham laser device and associated treatments, promising it would cure more than 200 different conditions, according to … Read More
TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — A Tucson chiropractor faces prison time on convictions for fraud and other crimes for allowing an unlicensed dentist to practice out of his chiropractic clinic. The Arizona Attorney General’s Office says Dr. Jesus Bernal faces between … Read More
For years, his company has been under fire over allegations its dentists performed painful, unnecessary work on children in a scheme to bilk Medicaid. Yet Kool Smiles’ chief dental officer, Dale G. Mayfield, since 2016 had a say in how … Read More
File this one under “Be careful what you wish for.” Some states with conservative leaders might finally expand Medicaid to more of their residents – with the provision that they work as well. That’s actually a good deal, because it … Read More
BALTIMORE, Md. – The State of Maryland will receive over $1,000,000 from a company as part of a settlement, after officials say the company made false Medicaid claims for dental procedures. Source: Md. to receive over $1M in Medicaid fraud settlement … Read More
MOUNT VERNON, Mo. — A Mount Vernon dentist was ordered bound over for trial this week in Lawrence County Circuit Court on three counts of Medicaid fraud and a single count of obstruction. Associate Court Judge Scott Sifferman found probable … Read More
The U.S. government shut down early Saturday morning after Congress and the president could not come to an agreement on how to continue funding. Late Friday night, a House funding resolution died in the U.S. Senate when Senate Republican leaders … Read More
January 17, 2018 – Law enforcement agencies and federal healthcare administrators including HHS, the Office of the Inspector General (OIG), the FBI, and US Attorney’s Offices across the country investigated provider healthcare schemes that defrauded Medicare and Medicaid more than … Read More
A national dental chain has paid $1.7 million to Massachusetts to resolve allegations that it fraudulently billed the state’s Medicaid program for medically unnecessary and expensive dental work on pediatric patients. The payment is part of a $23.9 million global … Read More
Francisco Pena, mayor of Rio Bravo, Texas, has been indicted alongside three other individuals for his alleged role in a $150 million home health care fraud and money laundering scam, according to a memo released by the U.S. Justice Department. … Read More
A dental management company with multiple Texas clinics has agreed to a nearly $24 million settlement with federal prosecutors after being accused of submitting false claims to state Medicaid programs – including Texas’ – and performing unnecessary dental work on … Read More
YUMA, Ariz. – The Justice Department announced on Wednesday that it has settled False Claims Act allegations against dental management company Benevis LLC (formerly known as NCDR LLC) and more than 130 of its affiliated Kool Smiles dental clinics for … Read More
A Texas dentist’s office prepared to give a man a new — and very expensive — smile, but instead the staff got a call that made them frown when police revealed the patient was a fraud. The unidentified man went … Read More
Texas now has enough federal money to keep alive its health insurance program for more than 450,000 uninsured kids and pregnant women through the end of March, a state official said on Friday. Source: Texas has enough federal funds to keep … Read More
AUSTIN — Two former directors at the Texas Health and Human Services Commission, including the wife of state Rep. Joe Pickett, D-El Paso, are suing the agency for wrongful termination. In a lawsuit filed in Travis County District Court, Shannon … Read More
AUSTIN — Health care providers in Texas are getting a $25 billion shot in the arm with the five-year extension of a Medicaid program by the federal government. Source: Feds grant Texas extension of Medicaid waiver / The Banner-Press
Small businesses and sole proprietors will be able to band together under a new federal rule to create employee health plans that would expand coverage options for 11 million uninsured Americans, senior Trump administration officials said. The Labor Department rule … Read More
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — (1/03/2018) What used to be one of the busiest dental offices in Mt. Vernon is now little more than ashes, as the building was burned almost to a crisp in a fire that officials are now labeling … Read More
RANCHO CUCAMONGA, Calif. — Devon Rising shakes his head and tries to cover his face with his hands. It’s time to get his few remaining teeth cleaned, and he fusses for a bit. Gita Aminloo, his dental hygienist, tries to … Read More
COLUMBUS — Compliance examinations to verify whether Medicaid providers have sufficient documentation to support payment have led to repayment demands totaling nearly $10.6 million in 2017, Auditor of State Dave Yost announced recently. Since taking office, Yost’s Medicaid team has … Read More
AUSTIN – As lawmakers on Capitol Hill continue to discuss the future of the CHIP program, Texas is set to receive $135 million from the federal government to keep benefits in place thru February. CHIP, which stands for Children’s Health Insurance Program, … Read More
Federal taxpayers may have forfeited at least $1 billion because a slate of drugs were misclassified under Medicaid’s rebate program, the Health and Human Services’ chief watchdog said Wednesday. HHS’ inspector general said the vast majority of the tens of … Read More
Families are becoming increasingly panicked about children losing health insurance without new funding from Congress, state officials warned Wednesday as a new report showed nearly 2 million kids could be dropped from coverage next month. Source: State officials panicked over children’s … Read More
TRENTON – A “mobile” dentist who fraudulently billed nursing homes and elderly patients for work that was not done in some cases will spend the next eight years in prison and must pay $7 million in restitution, Attorney General Christopher … Read More
The Trump administration is guaranteeing Texas $135 million to continue helping more than 450,000 uninsured children and pregnant women if Congress doesn’t renew authorization for the Children’s Health Insurance Program. Source: Texas to receive $135M to keep Children’s Health Insurance Program … Read More
Federal prosecutors are seeking additional damages from an Idaho woman who acted as a dentist despite being licensed only as a dental hygienist. Cherie R. Dillon, 62, of Fruitland, drilled and pulled teeth, provided patients with fillings and dentures, and … Read More
BOISE (AP) — Federal prosecutors are seeking higher restitution from a Fruitland woman who authorities say performed work as a dentist and billed insurance companies despite being licensed as a dental hygienist. Cherie R. Dillon pleaded guilty in January to … Read More
A federal health insurance program covering nearly 400,000 Texas children is still in limbo as the state remains hopeful it can get additional funding to extend coverage for an additional month. Congress failed to renew the Children’s Health Insurance Program, … Read More
U.S. District Judge Joseph Goodwin said a former Charleston dentist’s personal wealth was accumulated at the cost of keeping some of his patients addicted to opioids and defrauding Medicaid as he sentenced him to prison Thursday morning. In front of … Read More
A now-closed Fort Dodge teeth whitening business may have been operating without a license, according to the Fort Dodge Police Department, and may have been involved in theft and fraud. Smile Labs of Fort Dodge LLC, which was formerly located … Read More
SURVEYOR, W.Va. — Several FBI vehicles were parked in front of Jarrell Family Dentistry Wednesday afternoon. Multiple agents could be seen walking in and out of the building carrying papers. The business is located along Harper Road, Route 3. An … Read More
A Hanover County dentist pleaded guilty Wednesday in a four-year health care fraud scheme that netted more than $783,000 from Medicaid and four dental insurers. Maryam E. Zarei, 47, of Glen Allen, the owner and operator of Atlee Station Family … Read More
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s administration is asking for $90 million more in federal funding in hopes of delaying health insurance cancellations for nearly half a million children. Texas will end its Children’s Health Insurance Program on … Read More
It’s been two months since inaction in Congress put health insurance for more than 400,000 Texas children in jeopardy, and for people like Raquel Cruz, the uncertainty is taking a toll. “To remove insurance from hardworking people that need it … Read More
AUSTIN — Gov. Greg Abbott’s administration is trying to avoid mailing health insurance cancellation notices to nearly half a million children three days before Christmas. Unless it can get $90 million more in federal funding, though, Texas will end its … Read More
If Congress doesn’t reauthorize funding for the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) soon, it’s not just Texas children who could lose access to health insurance; thousands of pregnant women could lose coverage, too. Texas doesn’t run the program without federal … Read More
A Montgomery doctor pleaded guilty to federal charges after he unnecessarily prescribed several different drugs as part of a “pill mill” operation, according to a U.S. Attorneys Office news release. Source: Montgomery doctor pleads guilty to unnecessarily prescribing opiates, health care … Read More
It’s hair-on-fire time in Congress. Lawmakers responsible for looking out for folks back home are in a mad dash to get a mountain of past-due work completed by year’s end. Buried under the headline-grabbing controversies is one of life and … Read More
HOUSTON, Nov. 28, 2017 /PRNewswire/ — DentaQuest, the leading purpose-driven oral health company and the largest Medicaid dental benefits administrator in the nation, has donated $10,000 to the Memorial Hermann School-Based Health Centers’ mobile dental program. This donation marks the … Read More
