A new federal report will be released Wednesday showing that shady dentists and orthodontists billed the state's Medicaid program for questionable procedures on children. One dentist claimed to have provided one child 42 tooth fillings in a single visit.
BY Glenn Blain NEW YORK DAILY NEWS ALBANY BUREAU|Wednesday, March 26, 2014, 12:20 AM
The state’s Medicaid program paid through the teeth for questionable billings by shady dentists and orthodontists, a new federal report charges.
One dentist claimed to have provided one child 42 tooth fillings in a single visit.
Another dentist averaged 16 procedures per child, compared with a statewide average of five, according to the report, which is being released Wednesday.
They were among 23 pediatric dentists and six orthodontists in the state who pocketed $13.2 million in Medicaid payments in 2012 for services that appeared unnecessary or may not have been performed at all, according to the report by the Department of Health and Human Services inspector general.
“We found one orthodontist who treated almost 5,000 children in a single year,” said Lucia Fort, an analyst in the inspector general’s office.
“That’s about 10 times higher than the state average for orthodontists.”
Read the complete NY Daily News Story here.
CSHM/Small Smiles Dental has been changing the business entity names on file with the Secretary of State in Kentucky and Ohio. Small Smiles of Akron, LLC – Michael Crites, DDS has been changed to Akron Smiles Youth Dentistry, LLC – Michael Crites, DDS. (if you would like a look at the many name changes in Ohio, search the Secretary of State site here using “Prior Business Name”)
Small Smiles of Louisville, PSC was changed to Louisville Smiles Youth Dentistry, PCS on November 27, 2013. Since at least June of 2013,
CSHM has also been changing information contained in their dentists National Provider Identifier (NPI) records on file with the Federal government. The mailing address has also been changed in the individual clinic records. The business mailing address has been changed to a US Postal Service sub-station post office box:16 Arcade Unit 198747, Nashville, TN 37219-1994.
The “manager of licensing and credentialing, Ms. Jenell Stringer is making the changes. I’m sure at the direction of someone at CSHM headquarters.
For instance, on June 11, 2013, Ms. Jenell Stringer, Manager of Licensing and Credentialing changed the mailing address in the NPI record of Small Smiles of Worcester, LLC d/b/a Straight Smiles of Worcester-(NPI number 1487943635) to:
16 Arcade Unit 198747
Nashville, TN 37219-1994
615-750-0343
You can see for yourself by searching the NPI number here.
They did the same thing in May of 2010, just 4 months after the Corporate Integrity Agreement was put into place. At that time I believe they used a US Postal Service sub-station at 208 W. 8th Street, Ste 810,Pueblo, Colorado, 81003-3038
If you would like to check out the dentist records, click here. Below are a few names and NPI numbers:
- Merlin L. Cherian, DMD – 1922348507
- Elizabeth Kay Geier, DDS – 1134251127 (Elizabeth is the “owner dentist” of the Louisville, Kentucky clinic and some in Ohio, along with long time puppet, Dr. Jodi Kuhn, who now has her name slapped all over the clinics in Colorado.)
- Harry Huger Houston, III, DDS – 1003991050
- Todd Bernard, DMD – 1336572791
- Sujani Vellanki, DMD – 1740562610 (apparently she practices dentistry at the post office, since the physical address on her location is also 16 Arcade, Until 198747, Nashville, TN)
