It’s getting bizarre in Texas over all the dental Medicaid Fraud being uncovered. The whackos are coming out of the closet and testifying in Austin.

Last week some whacked “organization” had their “President” testify before the Texas Senate Finance Committee singing the blues over dentists being investigated for Medicaid fraud in the state.

Well, it’s not really an “organization” per se, it’s more like 3 highly questionable dentists and a general counsel for a controversial law firm.

Greg Ewing, president of Texas Dentists for Medicaid Reform Fraud (you will understand this later) group said dentists were unfairly having funds withheld by the state because of a “2 years of disinformation” – did he mean by the media? If so, that means the media has mucho power!  He further stated  “evidence of fraud does not exist”. Ewing actually insinuated to even investigate the possibility for Medicaid fraud would be a waste of taxpayers money, saying “the State will lose money because the level of investigation will end up costing taxpayers millions more".

Was he really telling the Senate Finance Committee,  “look guys, they have already stolen it, let ‘em keep it and while you’re at it, tell HHS and OIG to leave them alone?”

Ewing also sat there with a straight face and told the Finance Committee that the Texas Medical Association did an independent review of Carousel Dentistry operations and found the clinics “highly efficient”. Why Carousel was even mentioned in beyond me. More on Carousel later.

Who is Texas Dentists for Medicaid Reform? 

 

The president of TDMR is Greg Ewing, an attorney for Asbahi Law Group.  Asbahi Law Group is more or less a lobbyist started in 2009 by Mazen Asbahi, a former community organizer, but best known for his appointment by the Barack Obama campaign to head up outreach efforts in the Arab American and American Muslim community. Asabahi later resigned after it was revealed he served on the board of the Allied Assets Advisors Fund with Jamal Said which supposedly raised money for Hamas.  Currently it’s reported Mazen Asbahi newest lobby efforts are to get guns to Syrian Rebels.

Wonder why this Mazen Asbahi guy is so interested in Texas Medicaid fraud?

The only other people mentioned on their website are 3 members who are dentists., Dr. Tara Rios, Dr. Juan Villareal, DDS and Dr. Vivian Teegardin, DDS, both of Harlingen Family Dentistry in Harlingen, Texas.

 

Dr. Tara Rios, DDS
Brownsville Family Dentistry
1601 E. Alton Gloor Boulevard
Suite 108
Brownsville, TX 78526
Phone: (956) 542-1956
Fax: (956)542-3672
office@drtarariosdds.com
2010 –D2930 Crowns = 82

In the bios of the “members” of TDMR, they fail to use Dr. Rios’s complete name – Dr. Tara Rios Ybarra. In 2010 then Texas State Representative (D-South Padre Island) was taken into federal custody for Medicaid fraud which also involved Texas dentist Gary Morgan Schwaz and six others. Schwaz, owner of Valley Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery was accused of paying dentists to received referrals for Medicaid recipients. 

Tara Rios Ybarra charged in Medicaid fraud case

Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon and His Employees Indicted – FBI

Appears it’s not the first time Rios-Ybarra has been used as a patsy.  While a Texas Representative it appears she sponsored bills that were actually put forth by “special interests”.

Tara Rios Ybarra Unprepared and Clueless on her own bills – You have to see this one!!

Comment:
“Well, we can all see that she was basically elected to her district because she is Hispanic and nothing more. I guess this is what happens when you are corrupt. She had no business being elected to any office in the united states. She would be great in Mexico though. Worthless piece of trash!”

Trueblood Dentistry and their string of Carousel chops shops finally forced to close!

In all the raw data I’ve seen out of Texas, this one would nearly always fall in the top 5.  This one alone is said to have stolen $18 million from taxpayers.  Just imagine the hundreds and hundreds of millions, if not billions stolen from scam dentists and dental companies in the state of Texas!  Perp walk please!!

I’m sure the “pity” party has begun.

 

By Chuck Lindell

American-Statesman Staff

Carousel Pediatrics began shutting down its Austin dental practice Tuesday night, displacing about 28,000 low-income pediatric patients, after state health investigators cut off Medicaid payments over allegations of fraudulent activity.

Carousel’s owner, Dr. Glenn Wood, who disputed the fraud allegations, said the loss of about $400,000 a month in Medicaid payments required him to shut down his dental affiliate, Trueblood Dental Associates, and lay off about 40 staff members and six dentists.