CT dentists agree to pay nearly $500K to resolve kickback allegations involving Medicaid program

Two Connecticut dentists have agreed to pay nearly $500,000 to resolve allegations that they paid kickbacks to someone who “recruited” Medicaid patients and referred them to their offices in New Britain and Waterbury.

The reimbursement is part of a civil agreement Bohun Choi and Michong Son entered into with the state and federal government after it was alleged that the pair and their dental practice, C&S Family Dental, violated the False Claims Acts, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Connecticut and Connecticut Attorney General William Tong said Monday.

According to federal officials, Choi and Son are both licensed to practice dentistry in Connecticut and their practices, C&S Family Dental in New Britain and Waterbury, are enrolled as dental providers in the Connecticut Medical Assistance Program, which includes the state’s Medicaid program.

Officials said Choi and Son submitted claims to the medical assistance program “related to dental services rendered to Connecticut Medicaid patients referred to C&S New Britain and C&S Waterbury by a third-party ‘patient recruiting’ company” between April 2018 and January 2020. Authorities said the pair paid a recruiter $110 for each Medicaid patient referred to them for “services over and above routine preventative care, such as dental cleanings and exams, and submitted claims for dental services rendered to those patients.”

According to federal officials, this was in violation of their Connecticut Medical Assistance Program provider agreements and the federal Anti-Kickback Statute.

“Dentists and dental practices participating in the Connecticut Medical Assistance Program are responsible for knowing and following the law and the rules related to that program — including the prohibition against paying kickbacks for patient recruitment.  My office will continue to work closely with our state and federal partners to aggressively protect the integrity of our public healthcare programs,” Tong said in a statement.

“To resolve the allegations under the federal and state False Claims Acts, C&S New Britain, C&S Waterbury, Choi, and Son agreed to pay $498,310 to reimburse the Medicaid program …” the U.S. Attorney’s Office said in a statement.

Under the False Claims Act, the government can recover up to three times its actual damages, plus penalties of $13,946 to $27,894 for each false claim.

“This case stems from a larger investigation into fraudulent activity by health care providers who submit kickback-tainted claims to the CTMAP for services rendered to Connecticut Medicaid patients referred by third-party patient recruiting companies,” federal officials wrote.