November 7, 2018 Despite settling allegations of false claims, the companies involved purportedly still pose a high risk to public programs and patients.
DALLAS – ImmediaDent of Indiana, LLC (ImmediaDent) and Samson Dental Partners, LLC (SDP) have agreed to pay $5.139 million to resolve allegations of dental Medicaid fraud. The case was initially brought by dentist whistleblower, Jihaad Abdul-Majid, DDS.
The settlement was agreed to by the U.S. Department of Justice working on behalf of the Office of Inspector General (OIG) of the Department of Health and Human Services, the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit of the Office of the Indiana Attorney General, and Dr. Abdul-Majid.
The defendants are alleged to have submitted various false claims to Indiana’s Medicaid program. Activities include purportedly overbilling for simple tooth extractions and improperly billing for services that were either never performed or were medically unnecessary. SDP’s non-dentist managers are also accused of applying undue pressure and influence on medical staff – allegedly putting corporate profits over patient safety and care.
As part of the agreement, the OIG determined that SDP and ImmediaDent needed additional oversight and proposed that the companies enter into a Corporate Integrity Agreement, requiring compliance measures and monitoring. The companies refused the additional oversight. Therefore, the OIG has determined that the companies pose a continuing high risk to the federal health care programs and their beneficiaries.
The matter was first brought under the qui tam provisions of the federal False Claims Act and Indiana’s False Claims Act. The whistleblower, Dr. Abdul-Majid, filed a qui tam action on February 20, 2013, in the United States District Court for the Western District of Kentucky captioned United States ex rel. Jihaad Abdul-Majid, et al. v. ImmediaDent Specialty, P.C., et al., Civil Action No. 3:13-cv-222-CRS.
Dr. Abdul-Majid is represented by Charles S. Siegel of Waters & Kraus, LLP in Dallas, TX; the Hargrove Law Firm, P.C. in San Antonio, TX; the Law Offices of James R. Moriarty in Houston, TX; and Satterley & Kelley, PLLC in Louisville, KY. Dr. Abdul-Majid will receive $925,000, in addition to expenses and attorneys’ fees.
About Waters & Kraus
Waters & Kraus, LLP is a national plaintiffs’ firm with lawyers litigating complex civil matters. The firm represents plaintiffs in qui tam whistleblower actions and False Claims Act litigation nationwide. Based in Dallas, Texas, the firm has offices in California, Louisiana, and by appointment in Illinois. Our attorneys represent whistleblowers exposing fraud and false claims against the government in a variety of matters including government contractor fraud and procurement fraud, healthcare fraud, assisted living fraud, SEC fraud, and Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) violations. Contact us at 800.226.9880 to learn more about our practice and our qui tam attorneys.
Waters Kraus Paul & Siegel is the West Coast practice of Waters & Kraus, LLP, a national plaintiffs’ law firm.
