Investigators recently discovered that Smiley Dental Clinics, which collected nearly $2 million in Medicaid orthodontics (MO) fees in 2010, may have been providing braces to children under age 12 in violation of state law. Smiley Dental isn’t the only firm suspected of this practice. Just last year thirty-four Texas dental clinics collected more than $1 million from Texas coffers by putting braces on children under the age of 12. All told, in 2010 19,000 under-age children, 24 percent of the Medicaid dental population, received braces. The cost to the state was more than $100 million.
These fraudulent practices raise questions not only about dental clinics’ adherence to state law, but also about the quality of care they give to their child customers. If you’re children have braces thanks to Medicaid and you think that your dental provider might have short-changed you on service or quality, talk to the personal injury experts at Fears | Nachawati. We understand this important issue and can give you the help you need! For a free consultation, call 1.866.705.7584 or send an email to info@fnlawfirm.com.
