June 2014

Monday, June 09, 2014

Settlement reached between “owner dentist” Jodi Kuhn and CSHM/Small Smiles Dental Centers

What that settlement is remains unknown. Here is the latest entry on the court docket, dated June 3, 2014.

ORDER: The court has been notified that this case has settled. It is hereby ORDERED that a stipulation of dismissal or other settlement document shall be filed within thirty (30) days of the entry of this Order.

The preliminary injunction hearing set for June 5, 2014, and the initial case management conference set for June 6, 2011, are CANCELLED.

Read Complete Article By Clicking Here >>

Sunday, June 08, 2014

Revisiting 2009 MassHealth Independent Audit Report

Revisiting 2009 MassHealth Independent Audit Report; not much has changed.

Audit report for period July 2005 – May 2009
Dental Program claims processing system has resulted in millions of dollars in ineligible claims and potential fraudulent claims being paid.
Only 15.7% of radiograph claims met requirements.
84.3% of radiographs (x-rays) by 10 providers (3 Small Smiles and 3 Kool Smiles) failed to meet requirements
Radiographs (X-rays) claims paid to 3 Small Smiles clinics and 3 Kool Smiles clinics totaling $3,09,172 were unallowable.
DentaQuest (f/k/a Doral Dental) Senior Dental Director stated providers “treat to the benefits allowed and not member’s need)
3 Kool Smiles and 3 Small Smiles clinics routinely gave members bitewing radiographs contrary to FDA recommendations.
Small Smiles said in 2009 they implemented a new dental protocol that included the 2004 FDA recommendations.
DentaQuest contract required them to identify standards of care based on published recommendation of nationally recognized authorities such as the AAPD.
DentaQuest contract required it to monitor providers’ compliance with the AAPD guidelines.
MassHealth failure to adequately control orthodontic services resulting in $321,553 overpayment to just one provider.
DentaQuest failure to adequately monitor claims was widespread.
Many cases of double billing and double payments

MassHealth Dental Audit 2006-2009 by Dentist The Menace

Saturday, June 07, 2014

Remember Allcare Dental?

With corporate dentistry taking over the world, it’s good to remember Allcare who closed it’s doors overnight in January 2011 leaving patients without care or recourse, and dental boards scratching their..uh.…heads.

A class action lawsuit was filed and just like the Allcare’s doors, patients were left lock-jawed.

Allcare Dental Class Action Lawsuit

The Allcare companies filed for bankruptcy in the Western District of New York (Buffalo), Bankruptcy Petition #: 1-11-13848-CLB. Those proceedings terminated in 2013 with a report of no distribution. As such, there are no available assets from these entities for unsecured creditors.
You may have individual claims. Once the class action claims are dismissed, the statute of limitations for your claims will continue to run. You should contact an individual attorney in your state if you desire individual representation. Failure to file within the applicable statute of limitations will forever bar your claims. We are not handling these claims given the no-distribution report.