The unsecured creditors meeting in the bankruptcy of Church Street Health Management had their first meeting today. The committee appointed Jim Moriarty of Moriarty-Leyendecker law firm in Houson, Texas as thier Chairman.
Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell and Berkowitz, law firm in Nashville, Tennessee was chosen to be the counsel for the committee.
See the Appointment and Notice of Appointment Committee here
Senior Mobile Dental
Seniormobiledental.com and .org– website true owner hidden
Contact Privacy Inc. Customer 0117132607, seniormobiledental.com@contactprivacy.com
96 Mowat Ave
Toronto, ON M6K 3M1
CA +1.4165385457
Website says found is – Patricia Michelle Noblet – Vacha
Senior Mobile Dental – Colorado Secretary of State:
20071451146 – Filed 9-16-2009 True name - Dental Hygiene Professionals. Michelle P. Vacha 2604 Flintridge Dr. Colorado Springs, CO 80918
2010163317 – Filed 10-12-2010 True name – Licensed Dental Hygiene Care. P. Michelle Vacha 2604 Flintridge Dr. Colorado Springs, CO 80918
Licensed Dental Hygiene Care dba -Senior Mobile Dental. Logo registration in Colorado – Senior Mobile Dental with a toothbrush and swirl of toothpaste. Patricia Vacha 2604 Flintridge Dr. Colorado Springs, CO 80918.
Licensed Dental Hygiene Care – Patricia Michelle Vacha and Michael David Vacha. Date of Non-Profit incorporation 7-27-2006.
Executive Director – Patricia Michelle Vacha, RDS
President – Dr. Sandra Swing, DDS 5410 Powers Center Point,Colorado Springs, CO 80920
Vice President – Nicole Spurgeon CDS 3860 Half Turn Road, Colorado Springs, CO. 80917
Secretary – Grace Wolf Trujillo E.D.D.A 6465 McNichols Ct., Colorado Springs, CO 80918
Treasurer – Tammi Moore, Accountant 8235 Chochise Rd. Colorado Springs, CO. 80908
Member - Dr. Kenneth Pollary, DDS 5815 Mesa Mtn. Way, Colorado Springs, CO 80923
Member - Sherri Thompson, RN 2955 Leoti Dr. Colorado Springs, CO 80922
WFAA
Posted on February 29, 2012 at 10:03 PM
Updated yesterday at 10:49 PM
NEWS 8 INVESTIGATES
Thousands of kids get free dental care under Medicaid in Texas. Texas taxpayers foot the bill, including putting crowns on the teeth of toddlers who don't yet have their permanent teeth.
A News 8 investigation finds that some dentists want that Medicaid business so badly, they hire recruiters to bring in patients.
At a Texas Health and Human Services Office on Masters Road near Dallas, a man quietly stands in the parking lot, waiting for mothers who've just received food stamps to emerge from the waiting room.
He is a recruiter. He's handing out cards for Happy Teeth Dental, just two doors down in the same complex.
At another HHS office across town, two women also wait for new food stamp recipients. They're handing out cards for Lancaster Dental a few miles away.
And at another HHS office just up the road, Bear Creek Family Dentistry has a small kiosk set up to recruit new patients.
If you have a Kool Smiles near you, I’d very much appreciate if you would stop by and take a picture of their front door and send it to me.
Thanks!
By Darrell Smith
dvsmith@sacbee.com The Sacramento Bee
By Darrell Smith
Published: Wednesday, Feb. 29, 2012 - 12:00 am
Last Modified: Wednesday, Feb. 29, 2012 - 11:20 amA Sacramento dentist has been suspended by the Dental Board of California on allegations of performing unneeded root canals and fillings on the healthy teeth of at least 17 of his patients and collecting insurance payments for work he did not do.
David Milton Lewis was barred by the state board from performing dentistry until the case against him is resolved, officials said.
In addition to causing damage to patients' healthy teeth, the board alleged Lewis submitted numerous bogus insurance claims and offered cash rewards to United Parcel Service employees for referrals.
According to allegations filed by the dental board, Lewis targeted UPS employees because Delta Health Systems, the firm's dental insurer, covered 100 percent of dental treatments with no maximum payment or co- payment.
According to board filings, insurance investigators believe Lewis began performing the unnecessary work as the recession worsened in 2008, with claims soaring from an average of $154,000 a year before 2009 to about $870,000 per year afterward.
A hearing is pending against Lewis, who has a practice at 4350 Marconi Ave.
Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/2012/02/29/4299094/board-accuses-sacramento-dentist.html#storylink=cpy
Parents Complain About Kool Smiles
By KGNS News
Story Created: Feb 28, 2012 at 10:12 PM CST
Story Updated: Feb 29, 2012
A dental office with a local branch could be in a lot of trouble.
Parents complained about what they call ‘unprofessional treatment’ their children received at Kool Smiles.
They described their kids having their hands covered with socks and tied up while a dental procedure was being done.
[I suppose this is somehow deemed better than Dr. Steven Adair’s Superman Cape idea!]
Some even complained of having procedures done without the proper sedatives.
[I’ve been told over the years, when giving nitrous, they only turn on the oxygen to give the appearance of giving nitrous to parents, bill for nitrous but save on nitrous. I’d like an audit of amount of Nitrous billed and the amount of Nitrous purchased at each clinic!]
Now a San Antonio law firm says all Kool Smiles locations in south Texas are being investigated.
By BOBBY CERVANTES amarillo.com Copyright 2012 Amarillo Globe-News. All rights reserved.
February 29, 2012 - 12:18am
Feds link orthodontist to Medicaid fraud scheme
bobby.cervantes@amarillo.com
Patients and former employees likened the Amarillo Medicaid fraud scheme to “herding cattle.”
Amarillo orthodontist Dr. Michael Goodwin scheduled up to 400 Medicaid patients a day and frequently billed the government for work he never performed, according to court records.
In late May and early July, authorities seized $244,235.67 from five JP Morgan Chase commercial and personal bank accounts associated with Goodwin, his wife and his business.
Goodwin billed the government a total of $1.67 million in fraudulent claims from April 2008 to April 2011, according to a federal forfeiture complaint the government filed Monday seeking to keep the seized money.
Goodwin, who also has an office in Indiana, has not been charged with a crime. His Amarillo office at 3629 Wolfin Ave. was closed Tuesday and messages were not immediately returned.
Goodwin and his wife, Patricia, did not file a claim to the seized money, according to the complaint.
What would a Florida State Representative have his name on so many dental companies? Congressman Bileca is on the following either as a member of the LLC, Executive of the Corporation or the Registered Agent. He’s also the treasurer of the Dental Group Practice Association, that nasty little group whose goal is convince Private Equity firms to invest their every last dollar in corporate dentistry as they have defined it. (FFL seems to be a huge sucker for this one, or they run DGPA..hmmm)
WILMINGTON -- Prominent Wilmington dentist Marieve O. Rodriguez admitted to 10 misdemeanor counts of filing false Medicaid reports on Monday in exchange for state prosecutors dropping 19 felony counts of health care fraud.
Rodriguez will also pay a $100,000 fine, repay $72,000 to the state's Medicaid program and $50,000 to cover the costs of prosecution.
The case against the operator of Gentle Care Family Dentistry on Gilpin Avenue in the city had been scheduled to go to trial this week.
Shortly after the charges were filed against her in August 2010, Rodriguez was allowed to keep operating her practice, though her ability to prescribe medications was suspended by state regulators. Under the terms of the plea deal, Rodriguez will now have to close the practice and will lose her license for at least a year.
EDGEWOOD PA (KDKA) — The KDKA Investigators have uncovered charges against a local dentist.
Police arrested 52-year-old Dr. Anthony Monteleone on Wednesday in the back parking lot of his office.
They say he was caught snorting lines of suspected cocaine and then going inside Katsur Dental and Orthodontics in Edgewood to treat his patients.
Undercover agents grabbed Monteleone after they witnessed him using what appeared to be cocaine.
“There was a police officer observing what appeared to be drug use,” Edgewood Police Chief Robert Payne said. “It was outside the car.”
Chief Payne, who made the arrest, asked Dr. Monteleone if he had a problem. The doctor, according to the criminal complaint, admitted to using marijuana, Xanax and cocaine.
“He admitted using various drugs over a period of time,” Monteleone said.
Edgewood police acted immediately on a complaint filed Wednesday morning by a witness who alleged Dr. Monteleone was using cocaine and then going back to work on patients.
“We need to protect those people that are certainly patients coming over and expecting to get service from someone who isn’t impaired,” Payne said.
Police found Xanax and a small amount of Marijuana in Dr. Monteleone’s car.
“People are going to doctors and dentists and expecting to have someone work on them that isn’t under the influence of drugs or impaired in any fashion,” Payne said.
Monteleone is charged with possession of a controlled substance and disorderly conduct. KDKA Investigator Marty Griffin reports a check of Monteleone’s criminal history revealed prior drug charges, tax evasion charges and conspiracy charges.
http://whois.domaintools.com/complaintkoolsmiles.org
Looks like Kool Smiles is preparing for war. Note NCDR,LLC owns approximately 225 other domains!
C’mom…that’s funny!
Funniest part is the contract email address:
Not so, “private registration”…
Dentist arrested after brawl with 80 year old woman!
msnbc video: Dentist charged with fighting elderly patient
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
Dental Dreams has opened 3 clinic in SC under the name Family Dental. I suppose they are poised and ready to take former Small Smiles employees and patients, especially since it is right across the street.
Fraud is a renewable resource, I'm reminded. Family Dental is in Greenville, Rock Hill and Columbia. All are staffed with foreign dentist as the other mills. These folks have to go to work somewhere or go back to the mother land. Sad they have gotten into such a pickle.
Family Dental Locations;
6134 White Horse Rd / Greenville
2022 Cherry Rd, / Rock Hill
2941 Two Notch Rd/ Columbia (just across the road from Small Smiles Dental Center)
So who is Martin McGahan, Church Street Health Management’s Chief Restructuring Officer? Well he’s a director with Alvarez and Marsal – Private Equity Services and more.
Here is Mr. McGahan’s bio from their webstie.
Martin McGahan
Managing Director
Martin McGahan is a Managing Director with Alvarez & Marsal Healthcare Industry Group in Atlanta. He brings more than 15 years of healthcare operations and finance experience to the firm.
Mr. McGahan works with healthcare organizations to drive operational and financial performance improvement. In addition, his expertise in corporate finance, restructuring and the raising of capital-including public, private sources of both debt and equity-enables his clients to strategically re-engineer their balance sheets for long-term stability and growth.
Mr. McGahan is presently advising several companies in both the healthcare services and pharmaceutical / bio-technology industries. He is currently serving as Restructuring Advisor to a major provider of Assisted Living Facilities and Senior Housing. He is also advising a Clinical Research Organization on operational restructuring and capitalization alternatives.
Church Street Health Management
The embattled operator of roughly 70 Small Smiles dental centers in 22 states filed for bankruptcy in Nashville on February 20, listing assets of $895.3 million against liabilities of $303.4 million, according to Bloomberg.
Several years ago, an ABC News investigation accused Small Smiles of mistreating children, something the company vehemently denied. But Small Smiles did reach an agreement with the Justice Department in 2009 to pay $24 million over five years to settle charges that it had billed Medicaid for unnecessary dental procedures performed on low-income children, according to the Nashville Business Journal.
Bankruptcy court filings by Nashville-based Church Street Health Management, the parent company for Small Smiles, show that Waller Lansden Dortch & Davis chair John Tishler ($550 per hour), corporate partner Don Moody ($450), and restructuring partner Kathleen Stenberg ($370) are representing the company in its Chapter 11 case.
Waller Lansden partners are billing between $290 and $600 per hour, of counsel between $150 and $650, and associates between $190 and $335, according to court records, which note that the firm has represented Church Street since 2006 and is thus familiar with the company's operations.
On page 4 of Affidavit of Martin McGahan he starts in about the Sharia Law practices of the Bahrainian billionaire banker and it basically says, we had to set up dummy corporations to operate these dental clinics and dummy corporations to run the money through because of religious beliefs! OMG!
It’s also interesting I might add, that the very law firm who advised that this scam was completely legit is representing them in the bankruptcy. Wonder whose interest has their top priority. Just saying…
This basically comes down to:
A bunch of us shady people got together, found a couple of bankers, the Caryle Group and a Bahrainian billionaire, gave the DeRose family $435 million to get out of the sandbox and let them in for a while. They tortured hundreds of thousands of children, raided our Medicaid system, and ran up huge bills at various supply companies and law firms. They got caught,and fined and monitored. That cut down on the “take” from Medicaid. Seeing declining profits they scrapped out as much cash as possible thru compensation and leaving creditors hanging, the taxpayer raped and are telling a court in Tennessee that it was their religious beliefs that cause this to happen. PLUS, they want to buy their own company back through more dummy corporations, but not pay their creditors, continue raping the taxpayer and torturing children saying it’s in the best interest of the the children to let them continue raiding the Medicaid coffers.
I about flipped out when Martin tried to say the business plan was good! He more or less blamed it on owning the $24 million in settlement with the US Government. Not sure how he figured that since they’ve only paid back $9M in the last two plus years!!!
WTF!
Comment: MDavis
Again, I'm back to what's really demonstrated in the McGahan Affidavit.
Seemingly, there's a united front of the true owners of CSHM, The Carlyle Group, Arcapita Bank, & American Capital, masking themselves as First Lien Creditors. This powerful Troika shouldn't hold together, because of very diverse interests.
Firstly, Arcapita Bank's Annual Report goes on for page after page, about their corporate ethics & compliance w/ strict Shari'ah Code. Well, since they can't lend money as a creditor & collect interest, they are an OWNER. They bought equity in CSHM. They will be a prime target of Creditors. But, who got Arcapita Bank into this scheme?
Examining the types of businesses Arcapita Bank invests in, those involved w/ swindles of government money aren't too much there. Ahhh... but let's look at The Carlyle Group. Yes, the very same Carlyle Group w/ heroic founder David Rubenstein, who gives so generously. Yes, the same Carlyle Group which "assisted" the government of Abu Dhabi buy into their investments w/ Mubadala Development Company, which one might assume to be Compliant w/ Shari'ah Code. LOL!
The Carlyle Group seeingly loves government money. Yes, Medicaid money from CSHM (d/b/a Small Smiles). Medicare money from HCR Manor Care and Heartland Nursing Homes. And even, state pension money from the NY State Common Retirement System. Unfortunately, these issues all surround alleged fraud & abuse of government Taxpayer money. They also surround multiple civil malpractice actions. Well, at least persons w/in The Carlyle Group are well-connected in Washington circles, to run political & legal cover. This fact alone must have appealed to American Capital & Arcapita Bank.
So, in the most recent Annual Report of American Capital, they reported an elevated equity share in CSHM. Who motivated American Capital to assume this additional risk, w/ a company (CSHM), which had Compliance problems w/ the USIG's Office, and a laundry list of legal problems. Gee, do I again smell The Carlyle Group?
Investors in CSHM got hoodwinked, by other Investors. So no, I doubt this Troika will hold. Besides, certain Parties like Todd Cruse and Dan DeRose have a history of talking to the Feds, as evidenced in the John Ford (Mister 15%- because of his skim of government projects in TN) Federal Case.
So, who is gonna talk to the Feds first, and talk about what, in exchange for what?
Michael W Davis, DDS
Dentists who supposedly own the 67 Small Smiles dental centers that Church Street Health Management says they personally don’t own, could just start selling off your assets, right?.
In the Church Street Health Management-Small Smiles Dental Chapter 11 Bankruptcy filings Martin McGahan, in a sworn Affidavit, stated:
“The dental centers are owned by licensed dentist” (p.2)
He further states CSHM simply:
“…provide “dental practice management services” to 67 dental centers serving low income and underprivileged families in 22 states…”(p1) and have, ..“As of the Petition Date, the Debtors, through EEHC, Inc. (“EEHC”) had
approximately 72 full-time, 2 part-time, and 2 “as needed” employees (collectively, the “Employees”).” (p.3)
I suppose you owners could find another company to do your payroll and other bookkeeping, since Church Street Health Management is a bit pricey:
Not a good week for interstate corporate Medicaid dental mills is it?
Kool Smiles facing claims of alleged mistreatment, excessive... | www.kfoxtv.com
I’m thinking this list is the very very short list and will grow!!
Church Street Health Management Chapter 11 Bankruptcy
List of Potential Parties In Interest
[Doc-19-3]
ACAS Equity Holdings Corp.
Adventure 3 Properties, LP
Advocate Networks, LLC
AlA Limited
Al Smith
Morgan Joseph TriArtisan LLC has been hired by Church Street Health Management to oversee the sale of assets it claims to not own-referred to herein as “mystery assets”- remember, CSHM has always maintained it is simply a management company hired by independently owned Small Smiles dental centers to “manage” the day to day operations. LIE LIE LIE
In the Affidavit of Martin McGahan, he lied like a dog on page 2. The dental centers are NOT owned by individual dentists and CSHM has admitted as much.
CSHM will pay Morgan Joseph-referred to as “Investment Banker”-$75,000 a month, plus expenses, to provide financial advice, assist in capital raising, and/or the sale, of CSHM’s “mystery assets”. This should be fun to watch!
I’m thinking that is far from a fair fee; David Copperfield demands much more to perform magic tricks.
I believe the last company to assisted in the sale of this illegal operation (the DeRose’s sale to Arcaptia and the Nashville crooks) failed to do their due diligence.
Here is an excerpt from the Retention Agreement between CSHM and Morgan Joseph- (link to the full agreement at the end)
[FYI-employees weren’t told until this morning. But told there was nothing to worry about, money would be coming soon. LMAO! ]
Some of the highlights of the Top 20 Creditors are:
| Creditor | Amount Owed |
| US Govt toward $24 settlement | $10,714,233.36 |
| Michael G. Lindley | $859,955.27 |
| Alfred J. Smith | $674,545.81 |
| Henry Schein, Inc | $568,478.11 |
| Shary Retail, Inc, | $542,125.00 |
| Seeway Asst Mngt | $326,162.00 |
| Shearman and Sterling, LLP | $310,700.20 |
So, has this captured the attention of the other Interstate children Medicaid dental mills? You bet! Visitors to this site today come from several other corporate mills, including Ocean Dental out of Stillwater, OK.
Comment MDavis:
Yes, the Affidavit of Martin McGahan is particularly troubling in its veracity, or lack there of.
"In many cases, SSHC or CSHM has guaranteed the dental centers’ performance under those leases or assumed obligations under existing guarantees." That is the action of an OWNER, not a distanced management service organization (MSO).
On page 2, "The dental centers are owned by licensed dentists." Sorry, that simply doesn't pass the smell test either. These bogus figurehead dentists were paid an addition sum, to pose as "Owners" for State Regulatory Boards. We also realize from Case Law in Orthodontic Centers of America, Inc No. 07-30430 (Fifth Circuit (Texas) 12-30-2008) that the Court found these typical management services (from MSOs) constituted the practice of dentistry.
On page 3, "The Debtors do not own any real property." Even if the real estate is leased, the dental equipment has a tangible value, and dental equipment doesn't come cheap. This dental equipment is no longer owned by the former owner "Old FORBA" (the DeRose, et.al. group). The bogus "Lead Dentists" don't own it. It's an asset of value to Creditors.
On page 4, there is mention of Shari'ah Law. This was to conform w/ the investment of Arcapita Bank. Well guess what? Under Shari'ah Codes one can't make loans, and generate profits though interest payments. An investment banking firm, i.e. Arcapita Bank, may buy into a business, then later sell off the business, hopefully generating a profit. This makes the Party buying in, a Partner in the business. They share risks, liabilities, & potential profits. So, we're now talking about potential fiscal liabilities of Partner, Arcapita Bank, and not simply CSHM.
Page 4 & 5 get more into the "dance" of compliance w/ Shari'ah Codes. Ever read the Annual Report of Arcapita Bank, & the pages directed to their strict compliance w/ Shari'ah Codes? It certainly looks like they go to lengths, to avoid issues which they seemingly hold highly ethical. Does it break w/ Shari'ah Code to be involved in business, which harms small children & defrauds the taxpayer? Heck, just read the Release of the US Justice Department, w/ the $24 Mil Settlement.
Page 7 gets into who they want to establish as First Lien. In other words, CSHM goes bankrupt, and the real owners, the investment bankers of Arcapita Bank, The Carlyle Group, and American Capital are first in line to collect. That doesn't pass the smell test either. Do you believe a Bankruptcy Court would buy into that? Representatives of these Investment Companies openly sat & served on the Board of CSHM. They were involved in business decision making, or were positioned to do so, even if they attempt to pass the responsibility.
Page 10 "The Company is party to a Management Services Agreement (“MSA”) with each dental center for which the Company provides management services (collectively the“Dental Centers”). Pursuant to each MSA, the Company provides the Dental Centers with management services such as billing and collection, bookkeeping, accounting and tax services,dentist and staff recruitment, payroll services, human resources, information technology support,equipment and supplies procurement, leasing, repairs and capital improvements, and assistance with compliance, legal issues, governmental affairs, and licensing and permitting. In exchange for providing these services to the Dental Centers, the Company receives a management fee from which it funds its operations." This is all the activity of Practice of Dentistry, and OWNER of a Dental Practice. “Dental Centers”). Pursuant to each MSA, the Company provides the Dental Centers with management services such as billing and collection, bookkeeping, accounting and tax services, dentist and staff recruitment, payroll services, human resources, information technology support,equipment and supplies procurement, leasing, repairs and capital improvements, and assistance with compliance, legal issues, governmental affairs, and licensing and permitting. In exchange f r providing these services to the Dental Centers, the Company receives a management fee from which it funds its operations." This is all the activity of Practice of Dentistry, and OWNER of a Dental Practice. They spell it out, in attempt to circumvent reality.
More later.
The attorneys will have fun over this nonsense.
Michael W Davis, DDS
Comment Debbie:
Just think, there is 35 more pages of this BS for this document. Ole Martin failed to mention, at least so far as I’ve gotten through this, that it’s management services are in exchange for 100% of the profits, and we give the owners of the clinics a flat fee of $1250 for each clinic! It’s that just a upside down and backassward way of saying, we own and operate dental centers and the dentists are our employees! Guess, the word management has taken on an all new meaning…. No, I just mange that car in the driveway for the bank. Yep, that works for me if any liability issues were to come up. LOL
Comment: MDavis
If I were a Creditor, I'd also do serious background check into real estate assets, especially the early clinics established in CO, NM, & AZ, by the DeRoses. I would not assume, at face value, all the real estate is leased. It may be leased through yet another dummy corporation, of The Carlyle Group, Arcapita Bank, & American Capital.
Yes, this takes the effort of going to County Records & Deeds. Anyone familiar w/ this blog will soon recognize certain names & titles, to have an eye open for.
In my time, I've met certain Judges, who've presided over Federal Bankruptcy Court. IMHO- they won't broker liars or BS. And, they've seen every scheme in the book. They've got a HUGE case workload, and have no time for manipulators & cheats.
The Martin McGahan Affidavit is a HUGE risk, by The Carlyle Group, Arcapita Group, & American Capital. If right from the get-go, these parties appear the schemers, which they are, the Judge is likely to get POed. And believe me, one doesn't want to be on the wrong side of a POed Federal Judge.
Michael W Davis, DDS
First off, it doesn’t look to me that all these children need free screenings. Second, it’s not free… nothing is. Rest assured the taxpayer is picking up this dime, which is all well and good, IF… and that is a HUGE if… It’s needed. Looks to me like at least one of these children were regular patients. Just saying..
SAN ANTONIO -
A trip to the dentist is a visit that's often dreaded by children and their parents.
For children, a dental checkup can be a pain in the mouth. For parents, it can be a pain in the pocketbook.
"It's expensive," said Hilda Calderon, mother of 7-year-old Crystal Calderon.
Calderon got a break on Monday morning when Texas Smiles Dental Center offered free dental screenings in recognition of National Children's Dental Health Month.
They called it "Healthy Smile, Happy Child Day".
EL PASO, Texas —
Kool Smiles Dentistry for Kids is the target of San Antonio attorneys who are soliciting claims against the dental offices for allegedly using force on children or providing unnecessary treatment.
KFOX14 took a look into the claims.
TV ads sponsored by the attorneys are dark and allude to dental nightmares for children.
They are attention-grabbing and prompted KFOX14 to ask parents via Facebook about their own Kool Smiles experiences.
We received nearly two dozen positive responses, including Penelope Alba, who has been taking her two children, Greg Diaz and Ada Alba, to Kool Smiles for years. She said her kids love Kool Smiles.
Prior Year ReportsLargest Sum Ever Recovered in Single YearWASHINGTON –Attorney General Eric Holder and Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius today released a new report showing that the government’s health care fraud prevention and enforcement efforts recovered nearly $4.1 billion in taxpayer dollars in Fiscal Year (FY) 2011. This is the highest annual amount ever recovered from individuals and companies who attempted to defraud seniors and taxpayers or who sought payments to which they were not entitled.
These findings, released today, in the annual Health Care Fraud and Abuse Control Program (HCFAC) report, are a result of President Obama making the elimination of fraud, waste and abuse a top priority in his administration. The success of this joint Department of Justice and HHS effort would not have been possible without the Health Care Fraud Prevention & Enforcement Action Team (HEAT), created in 2009 to prevent fraud, waste and abuse in the Medicare and Medicaid programs, and to crack down on the fraud perpetrators who are abusing the system and costing American taxpayers billions of dollars. These efforts to reduce fraud will continue to improve with the new tools and resources provided by the Affordable Care Act.
“This report reflects unprecedented successes by the Departments of Justice and Health and Human Services in aggressively preventing and combating health care fraud, safeguarding precious taxpayer dollars and ensuring the strength of our essential health care programs,” said Attorney General Holder. “We can all be proud of what's been achieved in the last fiscal year by the Department’s prosecutors, analysts and investigators – and by our partners at HHS. These efforts reflect a strong, ongoing commitment to fiscal accountability and to helping the American people at a time when budgets are tight.” more here
WILMINGTON — Prominent Wilmington dentist Marieve Rodriguez admitted to 10 misdemeanor counts of filing false Medicaid reports today in exchange for state prosecutors dropping 19 felony counts of health care fraud.
In addition Rodriguez, who operates Gentle Care Family Dentistry on Gilpin Avenue, will pay a $100,000 fine, repay $72,000 to the state’s Medicaid program and $50,000 to cover the costs of prosecution.
She also agreed to have her license to practice medicine suspended for a year and to not participate in the state’s Medicaid program -- should she get her license back -- for at least five years.
A dentist who surrendered his license in 1993 was indicted Tuesday on allegations he practiced dentistry without a license in 2011.
Chester Kyle Little, 58, of Warner Robins, is accused of performing dentistry from June 30, 2011, to Aug. 25, 2011, at an office located at 2533 Hillcrest Ave. in Macon, according to an indictment filed Tuesday in Bibb County Superior Court.
DALLAS - No one would say being a single mom is easy. Especially being a single, teenage mother.
But the State of Texas appears to be encouraging teenage girls to become pregnant so they can receive free dental care under Medicaid.
Our investigation last year found hundreds of millions of dollars of taxpayer money spent for free braces on kids' teeth under Medicaid. That spurred a federal investigation, because cosmetic braces aren't supposed to be paid for under Medicaid.
If that is an example of good intentions gone bad, Latricia Banks and her mom, Patricia Jones, may exemplify a good idea gone terribly wrong.
For them, home is a tiny, wooden house in the shadow of Dallas' skyscrapers, which they share with Latricia's 82-year-old grandfather. It is a household held together with love, not money. Medical and dental care came mostly through Medicaid.
A little more than two years ago, Latricia's mom got a postcard in the mail, like many people in the neighborhood. Access Dental was offering to provide free braces for qualified children like Latricia, then 17 years old.
We hear a lot about the “revolving” door in Washington, but seldom does anyone talk about the revolving door within agencies and professional organizations. The same organizations that write the rules, regulations, tests, and guidelines that effect each of us in a more personal way. The same organizations that states and lawmakers trust to protect the public from harm. Chances of corruption are 100% when there are no checks and balances.
Their Publications and Studies
Looking are various websites including the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD), you find publication after publication, study after study, dating as far back as the early 1990’s to the present. Just about all of them are, rewritten and republished studies that are merely mashups of their own previous written articles and studies.
Here is just one of hundreds of examples :
Journal of Dental Education – Vol. 68, Number 1
General Dentists’ Perceptions of Educational and Treatment Issues Affecting Access to Care for Children with Special Needs.
Written by:
Paul Casamassimo, DDS, MS;
N. Sue Seale, DDS, MS;
Kelley Ruehs, DDSReferenced:
Casamassimo PS. The great educational experiment: has
it worked? Spec Care Dentist 1983;3:103-6.Seale NS, Casamassimo PS. Access to dental care for
children: profiling the general practitioner who treats
young and low-income children. J Am Dent Assoc
2003;134:1630-40.
If you get to looking at all the professional opinions, publications, studies, and continuing education courses concerning pediatric dentistry, the same names are there over and over.
Posted: Saturday, February 4, 2012 12:00 am
Engine trouble eyed in plane crash By NICK BONHAM | nickb@chieftain.com The Pueblo Chieftain | 0 comments
An engine problem appeared to have caused the Thursday night slide-off of a Learjet at Pueblo Memorial Airport, a preliminary report by the Federal Aviation Administration said.
The plane "lost power in right engine during take-off and ran off side of runway," the report said.
Due to weather conditions, investigators with the FAA and National Transportation Safety Board won't arrive in Pueblo until early next week, said Mark Lovin, airport director, on Friday.
No one was injured in the Thursday night crash. The private plane was occupied by the prominent DeRose family of Pueblo. The group was taking off in poor weather conditions to Las Vegas to watch the Super Bowl. Lovin, however, has said it doesn't appear the weather was a factor.
The report said the plane sustained "substantial damage" in the crash. The name of the pilot has not been released.
The DeRoses were on Learjet ID number N31WS, which was once owned by singer John Denver, according to flightaware.com
"John Denver took delivery of this Lear in 1975. He named it WindStar 1. He created WindStar Aviation. His father, Dutch, was the chief pilot," the website said.
Records show the Learjet is now owned by Extra Point LLC, in Delaware. The plane's most recent flight was from Centennial to Pueblo on Jan. 27.
The Learjet was removed from the side of the runway late Thursday night and is being stored at the airport for investigators.
The airport was closed following the incident but was reopened Friday morning.
Engine trouble eyed in plane crash - The Pueblo Chieftain: Local News
This morning I awoke to hear news about the big snow storm in the Rockies. Next thing that was talked about was the flight cancelations and so forth. Then it was mentioned a private jet had already slid off the runway in Pueblo due to the fierce snow storm.
Pueblo! The sudden adrenaline rush woke me on up, since I was still in bed half asleep. When I hear Pueblo, I think DeRose.
Being the meanie I am, I thought, “Oh, please let that be a DeRose jet.”
Then the newscaster said, “luckily no one was injured.” Again, being the meanie I am I thought, “dang”. That little devil on my shoulder shows up every now and again, ya know. (it does for everyone, I just might admit it more…lol)
That was the end of the report and the newscaster moved on.
The devil side of me disappeared as quickly as it had appeared. I came to my senses and thought, there has to be dozens of private jets in Pueblo.Then, just moments ago a reader sent me a link to the following story!
So why does your dentist strap your child in a papoose board as soon as they get their hands on them, instead of taking the time to go through the acceptable standards set out by the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry? (Listed in detail below).
Answer - M.O.N.E.Y.
How much?
Every MINUTE saved is $6-$8.
For a Private Equity firm, or other Wall Street bank or investment firm, wasting $6-$8 a minute is UNACCEPTABLE! For a greedy dentist who cares nothing about your child, only about his/her 5 million dollar home and private jet it’s also UNACCEPTABLE. (see below about these numbers)
From the AAPD Guidelines for Behavioral Management
AAPD Guidelines Page 4 - Regardless of the behavior guidance techniques utilized by the individual practitioner, all guidance decisions must be based on a subjective evaluation weighing benefits and risks to the child. The need for treatment, consequences of deferred treatment, and potential physical/emotional trauma must be considered.
Decisions regarding the use of behavior guidance techniques other than communicative management cannot be made solely by the dentist. They must involve a parent and, if appropriate, the child. The dentist serves as the expert on dental care (i.e.,the timing and techniques by which treatment can be delivered). The parent shares with the practitioner the decision whether or not to treat and must be consulted regarding treatment strategies and potential risks. Therefore, the successful completion of diagnostic and therapeutic services.
Acceptable Techniques
1st – Tell-Show-Do Tell-show-do is a technique of behavior shaping used by many pediatric professionals. The technique involves verbal explanations of procedures in phrases appropriate to the developmental level of the patient (tell); demonstrations for the patient of the visual, auditory, olfactory, and tactile aspects
of the procedure in a carefully defined, nonthreatening setting (show); and then, without deviating from the explanation and demonstration, completion of the procedure (do). The tell-show-do technique is used with communication skills (verbal and nonverbal) and positive reinforcement.
I made an entry here a few weeks ago about Kool Smiles telling their patients they have to choose a doctor, not their clinic under the new rules. I wondered how that would work, since the dentist’s don’t stay too long at the dental mills. Chances of seeing the same dentist twice (unless it’s the next day) slim to none.
Here’s a comment on that from a Texas dentist I thought deserved being front and center.
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(CBS/AP) FALL RIVER, Mass. - Dr. Michael Clair, a former dentist who substituted paper clips for stainless steel posts in root canals, was sentenced to one year in jail on Monday.
Clair pleaded guilty earlier this month to charges including assault and battery, illegally prescribing medication, witness intimidation and defrauding Medicare of $130,000.
Prosecutors say that Clair sometimes used pieces of paper clips while performing root canals. This caused infections and other problems in patients.
One woman said her teenage son's tooth turned black and had to be removed after Clair gave him a root canal in 2005.
"He put my kids in pain for months ... I hope he rots there," said Brenda Almeida after Judge Richard Moses sentenced Clair to a year in the Bristol County House of Correction.
An announcement from the Office of the New Jersey Attorney General
Attorney General Jeffrey S. Chiesa announced that a Monmouth County dentist has been indicted for allegedly submitting false claims to the Medicaid program.
Ping Cai, 49, of Holmdel, a licensed dentist whose practice is located in Hazlet, was charged with second-degree health care claims fraud and two counts of third-degree Medicaid fraud.
The Monmouth County grand jury indictment alleges that between Jan.1, 2007 and Jan.1, 2010, Cai fraudulently billed the Medicaid Program for dental service purportedly rendered to Medicaid recipients.
It is alleged that Cai submitted fraudulent claims for payment from Medicaid for relining and rebasing of dentures and filling of cavities when those dental services were not rendered.
American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry - Media Information
I can’t believe I missed this in 2010! She’s walking in Steven Adiar’s shoes while she’s suppose to be monitoring his child abusing, Medicaid defrauding company, Church Street Health Management. Adair used to be the Editor. I’ve heard about how her “monitor” visits go at the Small Smiles Centers. She’s either not looking or turning her head! But that’s what you get with self-policing. It really amounts to more layers of cover-up protection. Disgusting!
AAPD Appoints New Editor-in-Chief
The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD), the recognized leader in children’s dental health, appointed Dr. N. Sue Seale as Editor-in-Chief of Pediatric Dentistry and Journal of Dentistry for Children effective January 1, 2010.Seale is a Regents Professor of Pediatric Dentistry at the Baylor College of Dentistry, Texas A&M Health Science Center in Dallas, Texas. She received her dental degree in 1970, her certificate in pediatric dentistry in 1972 and her Master of Science in Dentistry in 1979 from the Baylor College of Dentistry. Since 1974, she has been a full-time faculty member in the Department of Pediatric Dentistry at the Baylor College of Dentistry and was Chairman of the Department from 1986-2009.
Seale has served in a variety of leadership roles, including serving as a past president of the Texas Academy of Pediatric Dentistry and on the Board of Trustees of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. She received a Distinguished Alumni Award from the Baylor College of Dentistry Alumni Association and was elected to the Baylor College of Dentistry Hall of Fame in 2010. In 2001, the AAPD named her Pediatric Dentist of the Year. Seale was also a recipient of the AAPD’s Merle C. Hunter Leadership Award in 2003. Seale is a diplomate of the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry.
“I am excited to take on this new role and look forward to participating in the changes that will take place in our journals over the coming years as we strive to meet the changing needs of our readers,” said Seale.
Seale’s areas of interest include pulp therapy for the primary and young permanent dentition, dental education and access to care.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE AT
TUESDAY, AUGUST 30, 1994 (202) 616-2771
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DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE AND ARIZONA STATE ATTORNEY GENERAL
BREAK UP DENTAL GROUP'S CONSPIRACY TO ELIMINATE DISCOUNTING
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The Department of Justice and the Arizona Attorney General's office acted jointly today to stop a statewide agreement that made it almost impossible for many dentists in Arizona to cut their prices or offer discounts on dental services.
Similar agreements are common in the health care industry, and those that stifle price competition are likely to be challenged elsewhere, the Justice Department warned today. In a civil antitrust suit and proposed settlement filed in Phoenix, the dentist-controlled Delta Dental Plan of Arizona Inc. was accused of eliminating discounts and reducing price competition under an agreement that had the effect of preventing dentists from cutting fees below those offered in the Delta Plan.
This is the first action challenging such contract provisions, which are known in the industry as "most favored nation" clauses. Approximately 85% of the dentists in Arizona have affiliated with Delta, the dominant dental plan in the state, the Department said.
