Friday, December 19, 2014

Blasts from the past much like today penalties for Medicaid Fraud? No today the fraud is worse and penalties even less.

December - Three Omaha Nebraska dentists plead innocent on fraud charges stemming from a 6 month investigation of the Douglas County Medicaid program. 

After their arrest, Dr. Leon E. Fellman (six counts), Dr. Stanley F. Galaska (five counts) and Dr. William V. Harrison (three counts) were released on $500 bond. Reports said the three would likely be tried early next year. Each count carried a prison sentence of 5 years.

That was December 1969!

The Lincoln Star Tue, October 21, 1969 pg. 1
Ohmaha charges of 3 dentists 3

Lincoln Evening Journal Tue, December 9, 1969 pg.51
Ohmaha charges of 3 dentists

Fast forward nearly 4 years.

All three were found guilty of the felonies in District Court and placed on probation. After hearings in November 1972, Henry Smith—State Health Director—suspended Dr. Stanley Galaska license for a mere 20 days while suspending Dr. William Harrison’s license a mere 25 days.  Dr. Leon Fellman surrendered his license for 6 months. Only the attorneys for the defendants and Gary Snowden, attorney for the state health department, were present. The State Board of Examiner were then notified of the suspensions.

Dr. B. J. J. Moran, a member of the State Health Board and former president of the Nebraska Dental Association said the disciplinary actions taken “seemed inadequate… based on the information on the case.”

All three had their convictions nullified and civil rights restored based on a 1969 Kansas law.

Lincoln Evening Journal – Thu, April 26, 1973, pg.15
Ohmaha charges of 3 dentists 2

Imagine what Dr. Moran would have to say about today’s actions!

Wednesday, December 17, 2014

Rick Perry and Greg Abbott Culpable in Debacles of Corporate Dentistry DSO Poster-Boy, R. Kirk Huntsman

 

Michael Davis DDSby Dr. Michael Davis

 

December 17, 2014

Soon to assume the Texas governor position, from his prior office of Texas state attorney general, will be Greg Abbott. Mr. Abbott takes over the governor’s office from another dental industry failure, current Governor Rick Perry. Mr. Perry is most noted in dentistry for his dubious appointments to the Texas State Board of Dental Examiners (TSBDE). The consumer protection group, Texans for Dental Reform, have highlighted a number of these self-serving and corrupt appointments. Members of the TSBDE included a number of notorious Medicaid fraudsters, and at least one convicted sex offender.

pull quote 1Hapless state watchdogs for Texas citizens extended not only to the TSBDE and their incompetent legal counsel, but also to the Texas Office of Inspector General. Despite the fact that Texas is currently the state most recognized for the severity and volume of dental Medicaid fraud, the Texas Office for Inspector General has so far failed to effectively prosecute violator after violator. These habitual failures go directly to the (in)activity of Greg Abbott and Rick Perry.

Federal Fifth Circuit Ruling 07-30430

Let’s examine a case in point. Federal Fifth Circuit Court ruling 07-30430, which is largely based on Texas state statutes, determined that non-dentist ownership of a dental practice in Texas represents the unlicensed and unlawful practice of dentistry. The ruling further stipulates that corporate violators are to receive the same legal penalties, as individual person violators, with no special treatment. The acts of establishing doctor production quotas and bonuses are an action only lawfully permitted by a licensed dentist. State dental regulatory boards are charged under this federal ruling with the responsibility and obligation, of disciplinary actions against both individual person violators and corporate violators. The federal court also determined OCA (f/k/a Orthodontic Centers of America) could not enforce employment contracts with duly licensed Texas doctors, because the corporate entity OCA was not in fact a licensed doctor. The dentist employment contracts were determined unlawful and unenforceable, in their entirety, without being severable.

The federal court clearly saw though the sham presented by OCA (a dental service organization, “DSO”). OCA presented licensed dentists, whom they retained to misrepresent themselves as clinic “owners”. OCA controlled the dental clinics’ bank accounts. OCA held the power to buy and sell assets, such as the doctor employment contracts and individual clinics. In reality, these “owner dentists” were merely nominee owners. OCA, like nearly all DSOs, was the true and unlawful beneficial owner.

In conflict with this federal ruling —and further, avoiding addressing this ruling —the TSBDE has repeatedly stated they have no mandate to enforce the unlicensed practice of dentistry by a corporate entity. This flagrant obfuscation of law by legal counsel for the TSBDE is highly disturbing. Even more troubling is watching Rick Perry and Greg Abbott hide under their desks. Additionally, Mr. Abbott further abandoned his duty as Attorney General by failing to provide a legal advisory opinion based on clear and current legal precedence.

Xenith Practices, LLC & Austin Cosmetic Dentistry

Let’s examine another case, where Mr. Abbott was asleep at the wheel leaving dental consumers in harm’s way. In October 2014, Austin Cosmetic Dentistry simply closed and locked their doors. No notice of the closure was given to patients or staff. The staff was left unexpectedly unemployed and patients were illegally abandoned. Many patients were in the middle of their treatment. Many others, who had pre-paid, were scheduled to begin or finalize their restorations.

Representatives of Xenith Practices purchased the now-failed Austin Cosmeticpull quote 2 Dentistry clinic from Dr. John Schiro, a couple of years earlier. The highly disturbing public record of Dr. Schiro with the TSBDE must have been aware to Mr. Huntsman and principles of Xenith Practices. It’s easy to download from the TSBDE website, with the slightest due diligence check. The earlier legal disputes between Dr. Schiro and Dr. Douglas Terry, who openly spoke out about alleged improper clinical care by Dr. Schiro, were also of public record. I have no idea what matters the investors were informed, by way of a lawful full disclosure by Mr. Huntsman. None of this should have escaped the attention of the Texas attorney general’s office, governor’s office, nor the TSBDE.

Xenith Practices, LLC, a DSO, managed the failed Austin dental clinic. Mr. R. Kirk Huntsman, —a business executive with no formal dental education and unlicensed to practice dentistry—formerly served as CEO of Xenith. As we shall see, Mr. Huntsman has quite the storied history in the dental industry. As for the true beneficial ownership of Austin Cosmetic Dentistry, that will be for the courts to sort out. It is alleged that Mr. Huntsman’s son-in-law—a Texas licensed dentist who lives and works in Colorado— signed on as the figurehead, “owner dentist”. Mr. Abbott could not have missed this obvious violation to Fifth Circuit ruling 07-30430, and negative fallout to the public health and safety.

Tuesday, December 02, 2014

What’s in a name: NCDR and CSHM rebranding

NCDR, LLC (Kool Smiles) can become Benevis, and CSHM (Small Smiles) can become First Quality Management (FQM) but the people are the same, the service is the same and the business model is the same.

  It would be interesting to hear from Adam Ditto, who has been with them all:

FORBA>CSHM>FQM (Small Smiles now “fill in the blank Smiles Youth Dentistry)

Hero Management  (Adventure Dental and Vision, taking over at least some of the old Small Smiles)

NCDR>Benevis (Kool Smiles and Resolution Dental)

Adam Ditto

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What secrets does Adam Ditto hold?