What will Harlingen Family Dentistry fight for, and what will they not?

The same Harlingen Family Dentistry that killed ten year old Marcos Tirado in September won a skirmish with the Office Of Inspector General’s  (OIG) office yesterday. But that is far from winning this war.
Harlingen Family Dentistry is one of the top 25 Medicaid billers in Texas and under investigation by the OIG. The Texas Tribune has Harlingen Family Dentistry rated at number 17 in claims for fiscal year end 2011.
Dr. Juan Villarreal, owner of Harlingen Family Dentistry is a former member of the Texas State Board of Dental Examiners, appointed by Governor Perry in 2001.
As standard practice, while under investigation,Office of Inspector General (OIG), began to withhold 40% of all reimbursement payments.
Not very happy about that, Villarreal appealed OIG’s decision. Despite OIG having evidence that 84 of 85 records reviewed failed to meet requirements necessary.
Harlingen hired their own witness who said he would have approved all but 8 of those 85.

WOW, that’s a HUGE difference!! Too huge to not look a bit suspicious on Villarreal’s part. After all he’s the one wanting “you” money and looks like he’s willing to kill children to get it.
Yesterday, Administrative Law Judge Susan Fekety, agreed to reduce the payment hold from 40% to 4%.
Always the victim, Villarreal said, "I am afraid to say that it appears that honest dentists are being ‘gamed’ rather than the other way around so the state can try to collect back funds its contractor had pre-approved years ago and that they want to claw back regardless of consequences to providers and patients. It just shows how broken Medicaid really has become.”
Would Marco still be alive if Villarreal were not such a greedy man? One thing is clear; what Dr. Juan Villarreal will fight for and what he will not.
Father claims no one tried to save his son

10 year old Marcos Tirado’s dad says no one tried to save his son

 

• Father claims no one tried to save his son
• Six Links of Survival @ RMBF

• TSBDE Letter: Patient Death/Injury/Hospital

• Dental Sedation Responsible For At Least 31 Child Deaths Over 15 Years

Child dies while being sedated at the office of Dr. Juan D. Villareal, Harlingen, Texas

While being sedated at this man’s office -  Dr. Juan D. Villarreal…

 

 

 

 

…this 10 year old boy, Marcos Tirado…died…basically euthanized.

 

 

 

 

…at this place, Harlingen Family Dentistry, Harlingen, Texas

 

 

 

Read more: Local, News, Boy in Coma, Boy Dies, Tooth Filling, Dental Procedure, Marcos Tirado, Anesthesia, Trinity Baptist Hospital, Loss of a Child, Harlingen, Cameron County, Harlingen Family Dentistry, Treacher Collins Syndrome, Valley Baptist Medical Center, Death of Marcos Tirado, 10 Year Old Dies, Federal Patient Privacy Laws, Lamar Elementary School Third Grader, Lamar Elementary School, Dixieland Road

Just minutes after 10-year-old Marcos Tirado received anesthesia at a local dental office, he was rushed to the hospital.

The Lamar Elementary School fifth-grader died two days later. 

It’s a pain no parent wants to endure. 

The loss of a child, that’s too young to be gone.  It’s a hard reality for the Tirado family in Harlingen. 

He was undergoing a  tooth filling at Harlingen Family Dentistry off Dixieland Road.

"Every time there was a procedure there was a lot of precautions that had to be done, the time we took him to the dentist, the doctor said it was a simple procedure, but obviously is wasn't." said Marcos Tirado, Sr.

Marcos had a medical condition called Treacher-Collins syndrome; and certain precautions need to be followed. 

The family said they made doctors and nurses aware before the procedure. 

When they were told Marcos would need to use a gas to keep him calm. 

His father showed concern but says the staff assured him it was perfectly safe and routine. 

But 10 minutes into the procedure, something went terribly wrong.

"I thought he was in just a little pain, but obviously he was unable to breathe, he just stopped," the grieving father said.

Marcos was rushed to the Valley Baptist Medical Center in Harlingen where doctors were able to revive him.

He stayed in a coma as his parents prayed for a miracle. 

But by Wednesday evening, Marcos passed away leaving his family heartbroken.

"He was with us for 10 years and even though he went thru a lot medically he was a happy boy,” the boy’s father recalled. “He surprised us many times but when it’s time to go God gives the call..that's what it is, we'll respect that."

Action 4 News contacted the Harlingen Family Dentistry for comment.

They said they were deeply saddened to learn of the death of Marcos Tirado, Jr. but due to federal patient privacy laws, they said limited information could be given. 

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the parents and their family at this difficult time,” they said in a statement.