Ya know, all of this crap just burns my butt to no end. I just can't talk about it enough.
Let's take Kenneth Eugene Knott, Dentist At Large.
I'm using him as an example, he certainly isn't the only one doing this for Small Smiles or Kool Smiles either for that matter. There are bunches and bunches of them out there! Rudy Padula, (Adolph Padula), Robert Andrus, Michael DeRose, the list just goes on and on.
On Delta Dental's PPO list he's listed as a dental provider for the Small Smiles in Fort Wayne, IN. If you made an appointment with that clinic I can tell you with 100% certainty that you would NOT see Dr. Knott, nor is he in the building and probably never has been.
He's listed as the dentist at the Small Smiles in Washington, DC, the ones in Cincinnati, and in Kentucky and in Oklahoma and on and on...Arizona, New Hampshire...more and more.
Now look, Dental Boards, what the matter with you people?
If there is a dentist who is applying for a licenses in a state he clearly does not live it that should raise some enormous red flags and I just don't get how it's gotten this outta hand.
It's time to clean this mess up! And I'm not talking about next meeting time either, I'm talking last week.
We all know Kenneth Eugene Knott does not practice dentistry in all of these states, well unless he has one of those cool magic red capes like Superman!
Tuesday, August 05, 2008
Monday, August 04, 2008
Small Smiles Takes Advantage of Grieving Mother To Patient Shop
You gotta luv Forba and their hired (public relation) gun, Don Meyer of Rubin-Meyer, formerly with Hill & Knowlton.
They've gone and got themselves their very own blog with Don Meyer as its author. (guess they are trying to fight fire with fire)
I know but please stop laughing. I understand it's hard but give it a shot.
It's not much of a blog. It started in May with 1 post and has one or two posts in each month since.
Not much they can say, most of the 9 posts talk in general about dental care to the under served.
One post is about them hiring Dr. Steve Adair, the papoose board expert who at one time warned against using the papoose board and wrote an article outlining how it should be modified in order to ensure the child could get oxygen and breath.
The other posts are reprinted news articles about clinic openings etc. None of the news articles after these clinics have been in operation in a community are posted.
The latest post is the most horrible of all.
It's about this lady who lost her son and holds an event each year that hands out book bags, this year she is teaming up with Small Smiles to offer free dental screenings during her event.
How HORRIBLE that Small Smiles would take advantage of this woman's goodness to patient shop!
This woman and her good graces and grief are being exploited for the gain of Small Smiles and it's a disgrace!
Clearly she knows nothing about Small Smiles operations, fraud, and investigation into these practices by various government agencies.
I'm not going to post the address, but I will say they use one of their big 'buzz' words in the title and it's hosted at blogspot.
Forba, is there nothing you won't do?
Sunday, August 03, 2008
Kool Smiles Law Suit Help Requested
We've got a person who is suing Kool Smiles and is looking for others who have been victims or possibly current or former employees to help with information or possibly make a statement.
If you can help this family please email me at cckaddie@yahoo.com or better yet, lisanrj04@yahoo.com.
Thursday, July 31, 2008
FORBA's Todd Cruse of Nashville, TN Donates To New Mexico Congressman
Call me stupid. Ok, wait, you would have to get in line to do that but anyway...
Wonder why Todd Cruse in Nashville would contribute a mere $250 to a congressman's campaign. Especially knowing how they work and all, surely he wouldn't expect much in return for that.
But the bigger question is:
Why would Mr. Cruse donate to Ben R. Lujan, a New Mexico Congressman.
You can see for yourself here.
Oh wait! Here it is, straight from Ben's website:
Commissioner Luján has also fought for improved health care for New Mexico consumers by investigating the health-insurance industry's denial practices and spearheading development of legislation that expands access to insurance and closes loopholes. The industry had been using these loopholes to unfairly deny medical claims and void policies.
"Closes Loopholes" ROTF LMAO ROTF LMAO
Think about that a minute, the King of Loopholes, donating to a guy who boasts he 'closes them'. LMAO!
OMG, not a day passes I don't get some kind of 'pee' my pants hearty laugh with this group!
And get this Michael Lindley, FORBA's CEO donated to Ben as well. I guess Mikie makes more than Todd, because Mike donated $1, 000.
I guess Mike and Todd want to join the fight and help close all those 'loop holes'! LMAO!
Next thing ya know, Todd will be on the witness stand again.
But here is the REAL reason: A loan from the state of New Mexico to open a Small Smiles there.
Click Here for the story.
Related:
Mario Burgos: Bahrain Investors Collect New Mexico's Tax Dollars
Dr. Robert Andrus Does NOT Really Own Any Small Smiles Clinics In The Sense They Want To Project
This article had been reprinted here before but I felt it was worth reprinting it again along with the link to the original article.
Anyway, it's important because it's talking about the Small Smiles opening in Roanoke, VA and how it's owned by Robert Andrus and FORBA only manages it for him.
Well, that simply isn't true. Robert Andrus works (or should I say worked, he's no longer with them according to recent reports). On an document that was sent to me listing all employees at FORBA, their phone numbers, email address and their job title Robert Andrus is listed as Senior VP West Region.
In fact he and Kenneth (Ken) Knott, SVP Central Region are listed as being owners as several Small Smiles clinics, especially in states where dental clinics have to be doctor owned. (I guess being doctor owned is subjective as to what percent of ownership isn't it, 1% or 100%?)
If you check phone books of various cities where Small Smiles is located you will see Dr. Robert (Bob) Andrus' name listed on several of them as being the owner and providing services to clients. He is (was) nothing more than a FORBA employee, it's just that simple.
Dentists suffer with a toothache of sorts over treating patients on government programs. The reimbursement is low, and the hassle is often high. Dentists prefer patients with private insurance or cash, on whom a stable, profitable practice can be built.
But a new Roanoke dental clinic has turned the standard business model on its head.
Four dentists courting the business of low-income children in Western Virginia have opened a practice at Crossroads Mall. Small Smiles caters to children age 20 and younger enrolled in any of the state's health insurance programs: Medicaid, FAMIS and FAMIS Plus. Low-income means people at or below 200 percent of the poverty level, which is $40,000 for a family of four.
It has drawn a huge response, with 2,100 patients booked for appointments before it opened July 31, drawn only by TV commercials and a postcard mailing.
"I think it's going to be successful," said dentist David Jones, who closed his private Roanoke practice to work at Small Smiles. There's so much work, "we could probably keep another clinic like this one afloat."
If the niche sounds unusual, it is: Low-income children haven't been welcome at most dental practices across the region -- at least not without restrictions that close access to new patients when the dentist feels he or she can no longer afford to treat any more.
But last year, Virginia lawmakers intervened. They increased reimbursement for dentists who treat Medicaid-insured children and chopped away red tape for both patient and dentist. Attention was directed at reducing missed appointments; people on Medicaid and related programs miss up to 50 percent of scheduled dental appointments.
National companies that cater to those on government programs have been setting up shop in Virginia. The Small Smiles group, from Pueblo, Colo., has opened 46 practices across the country, including in Roanoke and Richmond. A similar enterprise, Kool Smiles, based in Decatur, Ga., has 17 sites nationwide, including four in Virginia, its Web site said.
"We have a business model that works because this is all we do five days a week, 12 months of the year," said Todd Cruse, speaking for Small Smiles in Roanoke. "We typically average somewhere around 72 to 75 patients a day."
Cruse is chief development officer at FORBA LLC, a dental practice management company in Pueblo, Colorado.
FORBA manages the Roanoke practice for its owner, Colorado dentist Robert Andrus.
Terry Dickinson, executive director of the Virginia Dental Association, was wary when he first heard that a for-proft, corporate dental practice focused on the poor was preparing to operate in Richmond this past spring.
It appeared to be a low-margin business dependent on moving a high volume of patients through, Dickinson said. Might Small Smiles be a "mill" providing the least acceptable care, Dickinson wondered.
So he met with Small Smiles officials. "We made it clear if they chose to come into the state that we would have our eyes on their operation," Dickinson said. Company officials pledged to give quality care and invited state dental industry leaders to drop by unannounced.
Now that the Richmond practice has been up and running for several months, Dickinson is satisfied that Small Smiles is meeting the needs of Virginians, he said, adding there haven't been any patient complaints to his association.
"We are very pleased with what they're doing," Dickinson said.
Monday, July 28, 2008
Another Small Smiles Business Partner Settles Medicaid Fraud Charges
I hardly know where to begin on this entry. What a mess we have here. It might help if you read the entry about the "Tangled Web" before reading this one.
Well, earlier this month we had Doral Dental implicated in the bribery charges of former Tennessee State Senator John Ford. During the trial FORBA/Small Smiles top dogs, Todd Cruse and Dan DeRose even had to take the stand.
Doral Dental execs were so guilty they admitted if they took the stand they would plead the 5th as not to implicate themselves.
Now we have Amerigroup settling the largest ever false claims Medicaid Fraud case in American history at a whopping $225 Million dollars. (somehow no jail time has been imposed)
After WJLA TV's investigation aired about the horrible treatments of children at Small Smiles clinics and the medicaid fraud in and around Washington DC, Amerigroup announced it was requesting Doral Dental to do a thorough investigation of these allegations. (aren't you just about choking right about now?)
Amerigroup contracts with the state
Doral Dental contracts with Amerigroup
Small Smiles contracts with Doral Dental
...to provide dental care to children enrolled in medicaid in Maryland, District of Columbia, Ohio and Georgia.
Don't forget just a few short months ago Dr. Michael DeRose the co-founder of FORBA/Small Smiles paid a $10 million dollar settlement in North Carolina for medicaid fraud.
Something tells me that FORBA/Small Smiles was not exactly shaking in their boots when they were made aware Amerigroup was having Doral Dental look into their business practices, what do you think?
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Buying and Selling of Your Medical Charts: Is this legal?
This post is a bit off topic but thought it deserved some space on my blog.
Recently I was reading a message board and a discussion came up relating to 'buying charts'.
It was about a young dental practice wanting to know how much they should pay per chart if they purchased them from a retiring dentist. (which means there was an offer from the retiring dentist to sell them in the first place right?)
Now something about that just bothers me. I thought my medical charts (dental or otherwise) were somehow a bit more protected than that. The idea that they can be bought and sold really burns my butt not to mention all the HIPPA issues I see that could arise.
Imagine your dentist retiring, soon you get another dentist peddling his services via your mail box or home phone from the info he just bought from your retired dentist.
During this conversation another professional came back and said that you can't really buy charts but you can take over custodianship of them. He advised not paying a dime for them but to offer the retired dentist to take over the charts saving the retiring dentist from having to store, make copies to send to his old patients, sorting them all out etc.
Does the fact that your private medical information, of any kind, can and is bought, sold or traded? Of course I don't guess this is much different than if a professional sold his practice is it? In selling that practice wouldn't the buyer get your charts?
Two Doral Dental Opinions: Both raise questions
When asked about signing up to be a Doral Dental Provider here are a few of the responses:
mc2001 says: I have mostly good things to say in Virginia. The rates are reasonable (reimburse at approximately 60-70% of my practice fees depending on the codes). I collected $2.8 million last year with 8 chairs running 5 days a week.
I get a $30,000-$45,000 check every 9-12 business days, very few claims get denied and they cover most ADA codes that a pedodontist uses. Additionally, I am a participating provider with Delta and once the participating provider adjustment is done, I often find that Medicaid reimburses at a higher rate than Delta.
Sounds like to me this guy (or gal) is saying they get more money from Doral Dental and it's Medicaid reimbursements, then through private pay Delta Dental. Do other dentists know about this, since they argue they won't take medicaid patients due to the low reimbursement rates?
Of course I did take note that is was all about the 'coding' used. Wonder what coding one uses to get that high of a percentage of reimbursement? Creative Coding maybe? Like coding on Oral Hygiene instruction which is telling a two year old to brush his teeth twice a day, (can't tell his parents, they are locked in the waiting room at many clinics) wonder how much that pays?
Of course there are two sides to the flattest pancake so here is another opinion from nanham22:
Run away AS FAST AS YOU CAN. Doral manages Kansas Medicaid and it is the reason we absolutely refuse to see Medicaid patients - we don't get paid on time - MAYBE six months later, if we are lucky; and then, minimal reimbursement.
You can never get anyone to help you with claims. Finally, we had to call the governor's office and our state rep to get claims paid that were over a year old.
Pitiful.
Friday, July 18, 2008
Adventure Dental and Vision, yep vision too
Before going any further, I want to warn you that the owner of these clinics worked for and was trained by FORBA and Drs. Michael and Ed DeRose and Dan DeRose as well as Michael Roump of the infamous Small Smiles clinics that mistreat and abuse children and have been accused of medicaid fraud.
Looks like there's yet another dental clinic on the rise catering to low income Medicaid children only this one is going to take care of eye care as well. (I bet FORBA hates they hadn't thought about this new cash cow!)
Adventure Kids Dental and Vision (yes vision is being added I suppose unless there is something about seeing with ones teeth that I'm not aware of).
This place started out in Colorado Springs, CO (yep, Colorado again) as Academy Kids Dental and is the brain child of Ronald (Dr. Ron) Brandon Montano once again another former Small Smiles dentist, like Dr. Tran and Dr. Pham of Kool Smiles being former Small Smiles (Ed and Michael DeRose trained) dentists.
As of right now there is a clinic in Colorado Springs, Colorado another in Greenley, Colorado and one on the east coast in Brockton, Massachusetts and two in the DC area.
This clinics theme is cartoon action hero with the main character being "Captain Smiles". see captainsmiles.com
And the 'management company' for Adventure Kids Dental, sometimes referred to as Adventure Dental, is Hero Management. (an email address on one of the websites is cathy@hero-management.com)
So what's the deal with every dental clinic needing it's own personal management company anyway?
Another of it's websites is: adventuredentalandvision.com
The staff at the Colorado Springs clinics includes Drs. Ron Mantano, Mario Montanez, Melissa Montano and Steven Gould.
The Greenley dentist is Dr. Amy Jorgensen
No one is listed in the Brockton office so it might not be open yet, who knows.
Anyway there are two now opening in the Washington, DC hotbed:
1253 West Pratt Street
Baltimore, MD
410-727-4746
and
1305 Rhode Island Avenue NE
Washington, DC 20018
202-269-4746
..both 4746 wonder what special meaning those numbers have to Dr. Ron?
We can only hope that complaints don't come flying in for Adventure Dental. Hopefully Dr. Ron learned what NOT to do while working at Small Smiles in Colorado Springs. I heard he was let go, so that's a good sign since Small Smiles/FORBA doesn't keep dentists who are patient and nice to children.
Time will tell.
Anyway it's looking like the Washington DC, Maryland, Virginia area of the country needs it's own fully staffed task force, complete with a SWAT team to keep a close eye on all the dental clinics for the poor.
Dr. Kenneth Knott: Owner or Front Man?
Recently I checked out a Small Smiles yellow page ad in a city to be named later.
They ad read in part:
Care Provided by OH Licensed General Dentists
-Dr. Kenneth E. Knott & Dr. Robert Andrus, Owners
I just don't believe that is true.
They do not provide the care as it would lead you to believe and they don't 'own' the clinic either. Neither of these dentists have touched a mouth full of teeth in years.
Dr. Kenneth Knott is listed as FORBA's Senior Vice President-Central Region according to their internal employee list.
Dr. Knott has licenses in Kentucky, Ohio, Nebraska, New Hampshire, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Virginia and others. Dr. Robert Andrus is licensed in all these states as well.
So is being a 'senior vp for FORBA really mean, you go from state to state in your region, take some tests if any, hopefully pass them, apply for and obtain licenses so that we can hang them in the rogue clinics. So I guess that makes one a "professional licenses obtainer", right?