Connecticut will recover nearly $300,000 from another batch of dentists and their practices accused of committing Medicaid fraud, state investigators say.
Cheshire dental surgeon David Wu and his companies, Arbor Dental Association LLC and Alpha Dental Group P.C., and co-defendants John Gallagher, of Manchester, Mass., and Paul Anusavice, of North Grafton, Mass., agreed to the state settlement, state Attorney General George P. Jepsen said Monday.
The trio were among 28 individuals, practices and corporations the state sued in May 2012, alleging they shared in an elaborate scheme to cheat state Medicaid through fraudulent billing for dental services, Jepsen said.
Wu, who insists he did nothing wrong, agreed to pay $100,000 to the state, plus forfeit claim to $179,286 in payments the state is holding in escrow, officials said. Wu also is banned from participating in any state or federal health care program for one year.
In exchange, the state agreed to drop civil proceedings against Arbor Dental and Alpha Dental.
Anusavice and Gallagher, meanwhile, are permanently barred any state or federal health care program, officials said. They have agreed not to operate or share interest in or profit from any company applying for reimbursement from state social services programs.
Jepsen said these latest settlements do not resolve the state’s civil claims against remaining defendants: Alphonso Mack of Bloomfield and his company, Wintonbury Dental Associates PC.
The state previously reached a $9.9 million settlement with defendant Gary Anusavice of North Kingston, R.I., and his companies in June 2013; and $2.1 million settlement with defendant Mehran Zamani of Pound Ridge, N.Y., and his companies in April.
