A dentist from High Point, NC must pay $567,125 in a settlement for providing unnecessary procedures.
The dentist, Dr. Stefan J. Simoncic, who works for Triad Oral Care, will have to pay the $567,125 as a result of Operation Root Canal. Operation Root Canal is an investigation by the North Carolina Department of Justice to cut down on Medicaid Fraud.
The settlement revealed that between January of 2015 to the end of August 2019, Dr. Simoncic submitted false claims of services performed on Medicaid clients. The state revealed that the operations claimed were not medically necessary and were not performed in accordance with Medicaid policy. Neither did they have the supporting clinical documents.
According to the Attorney General’s office, Operation Root Canal targets a multitude of dental services including dental cleaning, the use of nitrous oxide, repetitive restorations on the same tooth, palliative care, and upcoding patient exams.
The state has reached a total of 10 settlements totaling more than $6.3 million to be paid back to the Medicaid program.
If you have questions or concerns about Medicaid fraud in North Carolina speak with our Dental Malpractice attorneys today. An advocate at our firm can help. Contact Attorney Albritton with Irons & Irons P.A. to learn more about our services.
Source: WFMY News 2