Ocean Dental agrees to $5M fraud settlement

A Stillwater-based dental company has agreed to pay more than $5 million in civil claims stemming from allegations that it submitted false Medicaid claims.

Ocean Dental PC, which operates 28 clinics in seven states, did not admit any liability in the settlement, although one of its former dentists was sentenced to prison in 2012 after pleading guilty to health care fraud.The settlement resolves allegations that Ocean Dental violated the False Claims Act by submitting false Medicaid claims for dental work that was never performed or billed at a higher rate than allowed, state and federal prosecutors announced Friday.

“We continually strive to protect government programs, such as Medicaid, from fraud and abuse by ensuring they are used properly and only by those who are in need and are eligible,” U.S. Attorney Sanford C. Coats said. “This case is a good example of the value of coordination between state and federal law enforcement, as well as the coordinated use of parallel proceedings, to achieve a successful civil and criminal resolution.”

Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt said preventing fraud is a priority to ensure that people who truly need assistance can get it.

via Ocean Dental agrees to $5M fraud settlement | News OK.

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