Former Stamford Dentist, 1 Other Pay More Than $700K To Settle Kickback Accusations: Feds

By Josh Lanier From Daily Voice

Two former Connecticut dental practices have paid more than $700,000 to settle claims they took part in a kickback scheme tied to Medicaid patients, federal authorities said. 

Investigators said Dent Plus Family Dentistry of Stamford and L&M Family Dentistry of New Haven paid a patient recruiter for every Medicaid patient sent to them. Both practices are now dissolved.

Federal and state officials said the claims were tied to Connecticut Medical Assistance Program services for Medicaid patients. The agencies said the practices and their owners, Ivan Makar and Oleg Losin, submitted claims that suggested they followed all rules. 

Officials said those rules include bans on kickbacks and demands that providers follow the Connecticut Dental Health Partnership manual. The manual “expressly prohibits per-patient compensation for individuals referred to CMAP providers," according to federal prosecutors.

The settlements are part of a broader investigation into health care providers accused of filing “kickback-tainted claims” to the program.

Officials said Makar and Losin paid $714,446.27 to reimburse Medicaid for conduct that took place from January 1, 2019, through September 6, 2020.

The settlement closes the case, but the larger investigation continues, federal prosecutors said.