American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry
American Student Dental Association
American College of Prosthodontists
American Association of Endodontists
and…drum roll please…..
The American Association of Dental Boards
I’m sure there are more….but these “associations” are all located in the same building in Chicago, IL.
211 E. Chicago Avenue
Chicago, IL 60611
Mass. dentist accused of $250K in Medicare fraud
December 12, 2011 -- SmileCenter, a dental office in Plymouth, MA, received at least $253,519 in unallowable reimbursements from MassHealth, the state's Medicaid program, according to the state auditor's office.
Most of the billing was for orthodontic services performed by a dentist who did not possess the required accreditation, State Auditor Suzanne Bump stated in a press release.
According to MassHealth regulations, dentists who practice orthodontics must complete a minimum of two years of training in a specialized program administered by the ADA.
SmileCenter's sole dentist, who is also its sole proprietor, did not complete such a program, but still billed and received $201,509 from MassHealth for orthodontic services.
As a result of the investigation, MassHealth will terminate SmileCenter's specialty as an orthodontic practice, transfer its members for treatment to other dentists, and seek restitution, according to the state auditor.
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In August, dozens of local parents formed a Facebook group alleging Dr. Edward Dove improperly cared for their children, including scratching and hitting them while they were not sufficiently numb and restrained with Velcro straps.
This week, a representative from Dove's office said the dentist had no comment, and that office staff had been instructed not to discuss the matter, either. In a previous interview, Dove, who currently has a clean disciplinary record, told The Californian that he gave excellent care and that the parents were inventing the allegations.
Attorney Jim Moriarty, who said he's ready to sign with the parents, has been involved in several national healthcare matters -- including a case against Tenet Healthcare for unnecessary heart procedures at a Redding facility. That case that resulted in a $430 million settlement for the plaintiffs and a $24 million payout to the government.
More recently, Moriarty is representing hundreds of plaintiffs in a case unrelated to Dove against Small Smiles dental centers, a chain of clinics that serves low-income families throughout the nation. (Moriarty contract information in the right had column-Jim Moriarty)
Moriarty alleges the chain makes money "by exploiting the Medicaid system," and doing unnecessary procedures that "traumatize" children. In that case, Moriarty has investigated what he describes as routine over-treatment and extremely fast care that "can't be done without emotionally and physically traumatizing children."
Moriarty, who met with some Bakersfield parents in October, said he was drawn to the local case in part because of its extraordinary mobilization effort. Parent Chris Cook, who was angry about his son's care, created a Facebook site that ultimately attracted hundreds of fellow parents, supporters and observers. The site drew patients from both Dove's Bakersfield and Chatsworth offices, who did not know each other previously.
"What Cook and these parents have done is sheer brilliance," Moriarty said. "They've done more to shine the light on this issue than any other parents in the country."
Story Created: Dec 6, 2011 EST
UTICA, N.Y. (WKTV) - A local dentist is facing charges, accused of Medicaid fraud.
Dr. James Deyulio was doing work out of a local nursing home where the alleged fraud took place. According to the New York State Attorney General's Office, Deyulio is now charged with grand larceny.
He pleaded not-guilty to those charges in Oneida County Court on Tuesday, where the Oneida County District Attorney's Office offered him a plea deal.
Deyulio will return to Oneida County Court on January 6 to let the judge know whether he will accept or reject the plea offer.
The charges stem from work he did at a local nursing home, but authorities will not say which nursing home he was working at.
by BYRON HARRIS
WFAA
Posted on December 6, 2011 at 10:41 PM
DALLAS - When you don't have much money, and receive medical and dental care at state expense, it's rare to complain.
Texas received only 712 complaints from Medicaid patients in the last year. But sometimes the quality of care becomes so questionable, patients speak up.
The case of a Garland girl points to some weaknesses in Medicaid Orthodontics, a program that's paid out hundreds of millions of dollars to Texas dentists in the last three years.
You can actually watch Anntornett Taylor grow up through her dental records, in the still photos taken of her when she visited her orthodontist. Medicaid paid for her first set of braces when she was 12 years old. Now she is 21. She has had braces for nine years. And they are still on.
"It would be extremely unusual for a patient to be in braces for nine years," said Dr. Larry Tadlock, Associate Clinical Professor at Baylor College of Dentistry.
That fact is lost neither on Anntornett, or her mother. Her records show her treatment was to have been completed several times in the last six years - in 2006, in 2008, and 2010. But inexplicably to the Taylors, the braces have not been removed.
"Every time they told me they'd be through in a couple of months," Antornette said. "Then a couple of months come, we'll be through in a couple of months. There's always something."
Lawyer wins braces for kids — and catches flak
A week or two vacation to Texas would have gotten these kids braces.
By Dr. Henry Kim D.M.D.
December 4, 2011
Your friends that work for big business have dental plans. You hear them talk about it paying for so much of their dental needs: crowns to make their front teeth pretty, and braces for their kids. You are self-employed, or work for a small family-owned business. It’s only natural to want the same great deal your friends have. Then you see a poster on a telephone pole, advertising a great family dental plan. It will cost only $20 a month, but supposedly save you 30, 40 or even 50 percent on the cost of dentistry. Should you bite?
First, it is interesting to note that dental “insurance” (a misnomer if there ever was one) was not invented as a cost-efficient way to make dental care more affordable. It was an animal birthed by labor unions in the late 1950s. They correctly saw that high progressive tax rates of the era would wipe out a lot of any wage increases they negotiated. So instead, they pushed for dental insurance, which let them shield wages from taxes.So corporate dental plans were really a clumsy and inefficient idea that were not well conceived. At least 30%, and sometimes up to 50%, of dental premium dollars is eaten up by claims administration. Not a good deal at all!
Once instituted, dental insurance became a sought-after employee benefit in the non-union sector as well. It offered the same tax-shielding benefits for non-union employees. Unfortunately, no one ever examined the efficiency or wisdom of the convoluted claims administration process employed by dental “insurance” carriers.
This 36 year old dentist’s name is Lora, she is a dentist in…drum roll please…. Colorado!
Posted on November 28, 2011 by lolabees
the dentist either being a dentist. A few months ago I came across a funny post titled, “10 Reasons I Hate The Dentist.“ It appeared right when I was in the thick of my career transition. It inspired me to write this, so, RedHead Chronicles, thank you for the inspiration.
10 Reasons Your Dentist Probably Hates You Too
1. The first thing you say when you sit down in my chair is, “I hate the dentist.” Really?!? Did your parents teach you any manners? Did they ever teach you that it is impolite to tell someone you hate them the moment you greet them? What I really want to say back is, “aww, I hate you too.”
2. You come to your appointment, and it’s obvious you haven’t brushed your teeth in days. I’ve had some people with great hygiene come in and apologize because they’ve just eaten lunch and couldn’t brush. This is not what I’m talking about. I mean food and thick plaque everywhere. After 10 years of seeing blood and rotten teeth and some really nasty things, this is still the 1 thing that makes me dry heave. You know when you come to us that we have to be in your mouth. Would you clean your home before having company? Additionally, I have spent hours literally bending over backwards repairing your teeth. Could you at least pretend that you are caring for the work that I have struggled to complete for you?
