February 11, 2015 — Dental Medicaid fraud rarely goes unnoticed by dental clinic insiders. But many just keep their heads down and try to hold onto their jobs — until they are asked to participate. For some, that’s the point at which they seek legal help to stop billing fraud schemes against the government. When tipsters file a lawsuit against unethical dental practices under the qui tam provisions of the False Claims Act, they may be rewarded for their courage with a share of the government’s recovery.
Idaho Dentist Billed for Procedures Not Performed
A jury has found an Idaho dentist guilty of Medicaid fraud. Alfred M. Fairbanks had been charged with filing false claims to Idaho Medicaid in 2009 and 2010 for procedures the dentist never completed. The attorney for the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit of the Idaho Attorney General’s office told the jury that the dentist’s plan “was to get money he was not entitled to.”
Fairbanks has been the primary dentist for Today’s Dental in Pullman since 1971. As the only dentist in a small office, Fairbanks reportedly had complete control over notes in patient files and billings to insurance companies and Medicaid. Fairbanks submitted claims for reimbursement to Idaho Medicaid for composite fillings on two patients that he had not in reality performed.
When Idaho’s Medicaid fraud unit asked a retired dentist from Boise to examine Fairbanks’ patients’ files, the dentist observed that the records indicated that Fairbanks had not completed the fillings for which he filed claims.
Contact Us to File a False Claims Act Lawsuit Targeting Dental Medicaid Fraud
While Waters & Kraus is not handling this particular dental Medicaid fraud case, we are representing whistleblowers in similar lawsuits. If you have comparable claims against a different dental provider, contact us by email or call our qui tam attorneys at 855.784.0268 to learn more about our practice and how we can work together to notify the government about fraudulent abuses of government-funded programs. Charles Siegel and Dan Hargrove, qui tam lawyers in Waters & Kraus’ Texas office, protect tipsters throughout the whistleblower lawsuit process.
