January 27, 2015 — Dental Medicaid fraud rarely goes unnoticed by dental clinic insiders. But many dental office workers are so worried about losing their jobs that they just try to ignore it. When they are asked to participate in the hustle, however, many decide to blow the whistle on billing fraud schemes against the government. When tipsters file a whistleblower 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.
New York Dentist Allegedly Billed Medicaid for Dental Services Not Performed
A New York City dentist reportedly has been charged with Medicaid fraud. Howard Rothenberg, of West Nyack, allegedly billed New York’s Medicaid program for dental services to patients who claimed they had never even seen the dentist. Rothenberg’s Manhattan office is located on 111th St.
New York’s attorney general alleges that Rothenberg filed false claims with Medicaid that exceeded $11,000. Through his lawyer, Rothenberg has denied the charges.
Medicaid investigators charge that between 2010 and 2013, Rothenberg filed false claims with Medicaid relating to 13 separate patients for services that allegedly were never performed. According to investigators, some of the interviewed patients stated that they had no idea who Rothenberg is and other patients allegedly claimed that they had visited the dentist in the past but not on the dates for which Rothenberg allegedly billed Medicaid for dental services.
Conscientious Insiders Collaborate to End Fraudulent Dental Billing Schemes Targeting Medicaid
While Waters & Kraus is not handling this particular case, we are representing whistleblowers in similar dental Medicaid fraud lawsuits. If you have comparable claims against a different dental provider, contact us or call our qui tam attorneys at 855.784.0268. Charles Siegel and Dan Hargrove, qui tam lawyers in Waters & Kraus’ Texas office, protect tipsters throughout the whistleblower lawsuit process.
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.