Two Connecticut dental practices and their owners have agreed to pay over $714,000 to settle allegations that they violated federal and state False Claims Acts. The settlements are part of a broader investigation into healthcare providers who allegedly submitted claims tainted by kickbacks to the Connecticut Medical Assistance Program (CTMAP) for services provided to Medicaid patients referred by third-party patient recruiting companies.
Authorities allege that Dent Plus Family Dentistry, PLLC, formerly based in Stamford, L&M Family Dentistry, LLC, formerly based in New Haven, and their owners Ivan Makar, DDS, and Oleg Losin, DDS, paid a recruiter for each Medicaid patient referred to their practices. These payments were in violation of their CTMAP provider agreements and the federal Anti-Kickback Statute. Each claim submitted by the practices was said to have impliedly certified compliance with payment conditions, including prohibitions on kickbacks as outlined in the Connecticut Dental Health Partnership (CTDHP) provider manual.
The CTDHP provider manual specifically forbids per-patient compensation for individuals referred to CMAP providers.
To resolve these allegations under the False Claims Acts at both the federal and state levels, Makar and Losin paid $714,446.27 to reimburse the Medicaid program for conduct occurring between January 1, 2019, and September 6, 2020.
The settlement agreement states that neither the providers nor their practices admitted liability.
The investigation involved multiple agencies: the Federal Bureau of Investigation; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General; Connecticut Attorney General’s Office; and Connecticut Department of Social Services. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Anne Thidemann and Assistant Attorney General Joshua L. Jackson from the Connecticut Office of the Attorney General.
“People who suspect health care fraud are encouraged to report it by calling 1-800-HHS-TIPS.”
