September 2017 Conference: Top Trends in Dentistry Not Heard Anywhere Else

Concerned Dentists of Texas Presents: Business of Dentistry 101

When: Friday, September 15, 2017 (9am-5pm) during the Southwest Dental Conference
Where: Dallas Omni Hotel Cedars Room, 555 S Lamar St, Dallas, TX 75202
Registration: Concerned Dentists of Texas (CDOT)
Contact person: Jackie Stanfield, DDS, concderneddentistsoftexas@gmail.com 
                            (972) 355-2273

Topics include:

• Problems facing dentists, new or retiring, involving dental practices owned and operated by Private Equity companies and Wall Street Hedge Funds.
• Understanding dental employment contracts: the vulnerabilities and consequences.
• Discussion about the business model of dentistry such as Dental Service Organizations (DSO’s): the impact on dentists, staff and patients.
• Legal issues and potential ramification facing dentists today.
• Medicaid Fraud
• Government and Legislation issues: overreach and/or underreach.
• Solutions: what you can do to protect your patients, yourself, your business and financial future.

Rare appearance together by following speakers:

Lunch will be provided by the following meeting sponsors: 
Dr. Rene Scott
Frank Brown, ADS Watson Brown and Associates
Johnette Green, Wells Fargo, johnette.green@wellsfargo.com
Dr. Shab Krish, MJ and Sleep Therapy Center of North Texas; and
Josh Knowles, Allstate

Concerned Dentists of Texas (CDOT) is committed to the well-being of the dental profession and the patients we serve.

Gentle Smiles, LLC and Dr. Annie Watson, DDS Settles Fraud Allegations with Masshealth

AG Healey Returns $500,000 to Masshealth in Settlement With Springfield Dentist Over Alleged Improper Billing

August  21, 2017

BOSTON – Attorney General Maura Healey announced today that her office has reached a settlement with a pediatric dentist in Springfield, returning $500,000 to the state’s Medicaid program (MassHealth) and resolving claims that the dentist improperly billed the program for services.
The settlement agreement resolves allegations that Dr. Annie Watson, DDS and her dental practice, Gentle Smiles, LLC, improperly billed MassHealth for palliative care (emergency pain treatment) between March 2010 and June 2013, and failed to comply with MassHealth rules associated with the use of that emergency treatment billing code.

The AG’s Office began an investigation into Dr. Watson and Gentle Smiles upon a referral from MassHealth, which identified Dr. Watson as the top biller of the palliative care code among all MassHealth dental providers.

Palliative care is the emergency treatment of dental pain that relieves the pain but is not curative and can include draining of an abscess or prescribing pain medication or antibiotics. In order to bill this code, the patient’s dental record must contain a description of the treatment provided and must document that the treatment was given on an emergency basis.

The AG’s investigation revealed that Dr. Watson routinely billed for palliative care without any supporting documentation, including when patients only received cleanings and x-rays.
Under the terms of the civil settlement, Dr. Watson and her business will pay MassHealth $500,000 as restitution for improper billing. The settlement also requires that Dr. Watson and her employees review and comply with all applicable state and federal statutes, and all regulations governing participation in MassHealth.

MassHealth provides healthcare products and services to eligible low-income individuals, including people with disabilities, children and senior citizens.

This matter was handled by Managing Attorney Lee Hettinger and Investigator Deborah El Majdoubi, both of the AG’s Medicaid Fraud Division. MassHealth assisted in this investigation.