A joint investigation between the Feds and the State have landed another Texas dentist in the poky. 70 year old Terrence Ewing Syler, DDS was sentenced to 22 months in jail by U.S. District Judge Thad Heartfield.
Texas dentist sentenced to prison for Medicaid fraud
November 14, 2013 -- A Beaumont, TX, orthodontist has been sentenced to federal prison for Medicaid fraud after submitting claims for palatal expanders that were never provided to his patients.
Terrence Ewing Syler, DDS, 70, pleaded guilty in June to healthcare fraud and was sentenced to 22 months in federal prison on November 7 by U.S. District Judge Thad Heartfield, according to a U.S. Department of Justice statement.
Dr. Syler, who owned and operated Syler Orthodontics in Beaumont, submitted the fraudulent claims from January 2007 to October 2012, according to the statement. As a result of the scheme, Dr. Syler received $829,000 to which he was not entitled. As part of his plea agreement, Dr. Syler agreed to forfeit several bank accounts totaling just over $829,000 and pay a $6,000 fine.
The Texas Medical Assistance Program (Medicaid) is jointly funded by the state of Texas and the federal government, and helps pay for reasonable and necessary medical procedures and services provided to individuals who are deemed eligible under state low-income programs.
Texas has been rocked by allegations of fraud by dentists and orthodontists accused of bilking the state Medicaid program out of tens of millions of dollars.
A report released in 2012 by the state Health and Human Services Commission revealed that Texas orthodontists charged Medicaid as much for services as the rest of the U.S. combined in 2010, and that the Texas Medicaid and Healthcare Partnership, tasked with evaluating and approving claims, was rubber stamping them.
In 2012, the Texas Office of Inspector General and the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Inspector General formed a task force designed to target Medicaid dental fraud. The task force is working to improve investigations of fraudulent charges to the children's Medicaid program and recover losses more quickly.
Let me see if I understand this. This guy is guilty, but the ones who billed Medicaid the most, like Anotine and All Smiles is NOT guilty. Very confusing indeed.
June 18, 2013
Beaumont Orthodontist Guilty of Health Care Fraud Violations
BEAUMONT, Texas – A 70-year-old Beaumont orthodontist has pleaded guilty to health care fraud violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney John M. Bales.
Terrence Ewing Syler pleaded guilty to an Information charging him with health care fraud today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Keith Giblin.
According to the information presented in court, Syler owned and operated Syler Orthodontics in Beaumont. From January 2007 to October 2012, Syler carried out a scheme to defraud Medicaid by submitting claims for palatal expanders which were never provided to his patients. As a result of the scheme, Syler received $829,333 to which he was not entitled. As part of his plea agreement, Syler has agreed to forfeiture of several bank accounts totaling just over $829,000.
Syler faces up to10 years in federal prison at sentencing. A sentencing date has not been set.
The Texas Medical Assistance Program (Medicaid) is a health care benefit program, jointly funded by the State of Texas and the federal government, and helps pay for reasonable and necessary medical procedures and services provided to individuals who are deemed eligible under state low-income programs.
This case is being investigated by Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services – Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG) and the Texas Office of the Attorney General – Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (OAG-MFCU). Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher T. Tortorice is prosecuting this case.
Any individuals with knowledge of these or other health care fraud violations are encouraged to contact the Department of Health and Human Services’ fraud hotline at 1-800-HHS-TIPS (447-8477).
