Texas dental centers recruiters solicit Medicaid patients outside food stamp offices promising ipods and more

 

 

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.

WANTED - Kool Smiles Dental Centers Pictures

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!

David Milton Lewis, DDS- Barred from practicing dentistry until allegations are resolved. He’s accused of unnecessary root canals and offering rewards for referrals!

Board accuses Sacramento dentist of unnecessary work

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 am

A 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 complaining about Kool Smiles Dental and have been for years I might add–socks over their hands, tied down and blindfolded.

This is the crap you get when you get Private Equity firms, or as I call them, “Lenders for Criminals” are involved in medical care. It’s about the bottom line, not whether treatment is needed, nor is it delivered in professionally acceptable standards!! It’s illegal on so many levels and so far, we’ve not seen an Attorney General with the balls to stop it!

Hey, all you AG’s out there, I’ve got a back up set I’ll loan you! Give me a call! 
Pro8News

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.

Feds link orthodontist to Medicaid fraud scheme

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.

Florida State Congressman Michael Bileca drowning in dental companies. He’s a CPA, not a DMD!

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)

Among the odd things on this list, is there are ONLY dental companies. Not, lawn care companies, not roofing companies, not your general smorgasbord of companies one would expect if he were just their “registered agent”.
Got a complaint about this; don’t write your state representative, he knows all about it.  Contact the Florida State Dental Board:
Department of Health Board of Dentistry
4052 Bald Cypress Way
Bin C-08
Tallahassee, FL 32399-3258
Phone: (850) 488-0595
Fax: (850) 921-5389

Dentist gets plea deal in Medicaid fraud case | The News Journal | delawareonline.com

 

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.

What does Michael Dell and Kool Smiles Dental have in common?

Dentistry, that’s what. Dental Care Partners to be exact. Scary! What’s scarier?  Having a Florida State Representative up to his neck in the corruption of Private Equity owned and operated dental clinics!

Dental Group Practice Association (DPGA)f/k/a National Dental Practice Management Association (NDPAM)
OHIO

Founded 5-14-2007
Sole Incorporator – David Slezak
Founding Members:

Affordable Care – G. Timothy Pate

Allied Dental – Edward B. Poller, DDS

Aspen Dental – Robert A. Fontana

Bright Now – Steven C. Bill

Dental Care Alliance – Steven R. Matzkin

Dental Care Partners – Douglas W. Brown*

Dental One – founder R. Kirk Huntsman with Dr. Edward Meckler and Doug Brown*

Gentle Dental – John Steinburn

Great Expressions – Richard Beckman

(which is the same address as ReachOut Healthcare Mobile Dentists 

Great Expressions 25882 Orchard Lake Road Farmington Hills, Michigan 48336 )

Heartland Dental – Rick Workman*

Midwest Dental – Jeff Moos (Friedman Fleischer & Lowe (FFL)

Pacific Dental Stephen Thorne IV*
Town Care Dental – Michael S. Bileca*
*Officers of DGPA

The Players
David G. Slezak – Sole Incorporator of (DGPA) (non-profit) May 14, 2007
2008- Present VP, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary of Dental One Partners, Inc.
2003 – 2008 VP, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary of Dental Care Partners, Inc.

Bankrupt Small Smiles Holdings, LLC list of 1205 Creditors

• A. J. RIGGINS HEALTH SEARCH LLC
• AARON & SANDERS, PLLC
• ADIRONDACK CABLING INC.
• ADVENTURE 3 PROPERTIES LP
• ADVOCATE NETWORKS LLC
• ALABAMA ATTORNEY GENERAL
• ALFRED SMITH
• ALFRED SMITH
• ALFRED SMITH
• ALTAIR DATA RESOURCES INC.

• ALTAIR DATA RESOURCES, INC.
• ALVAREZ & MARSAL
• AMBULATORY SURGERY CENTER
• AMBULATORY SURGERY CENTER
• AMERI-FORCE MANAGEMENT SERVICES
• AMERICAN CAPITAL
• AMERICAN CAPITAL FINANCIAL SERVICES INC.
• AMERICAN CAPITAL FINANCIAL SERVICES INC.
• AMERICAN CAPITAL, LTD.
• ANGELA CRAWFORD
• APPLIANCE THERAPY GROUP
• APPLIANCE THERAPY GROUP
• ARAMARK UNIFORM - SYRACUSE 308
• ARCAPITA INC.
• ARCAPITA INC. AND AT&T SERVICE AGREEMENT
• ARES CAPITAL
• ARES CAPITAL
• ARIZONA ATTORNEY GENERAL
• ARIZONA DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE
• ASSOCIATED BANK, N.A.
• AT&T CORP
• AUTONOMY INC.
• AUTONOMY INC.
• AVERY CROSSWHITE
• AVERY CROSSWHITE
• AXIS DIRECT INC.

See the Rest of the list here

Local Dentist Allegedly Caught Doing Drugs Before Treating Patients « CBS Pittsburgh

Local Dentist Allegedly Caught Doing Drugs Before Treating Patients « CBS Pittsburgh

February 23, 2012 7:34 PM

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.