Former Stamford dentist settles false claims suit for $756,000

Former Stamford-based dentist George Betser, his wife, Irina, and their companies ”“ Advanced Dental Office and Laboratory, G. Betser, DDS LLC; Dental Laboratory Advanced Management and Billing LLC; and Mobile Management & Billing of USA LLC ”“ have agreed to forfeit $755,956.30 in payments suspended by the state”™s Department of Social Services in order to resolve the state False Claims Act violations alleged against them. Betser has also agreed that he will not seek renewal of his now-expired Connecticut dental license.

In addition, the Betsers will be excluded from participation in the state’s Medicaid program, the Connecticut Medical Assistance Program, for 10 years as part of a settlement resolving allegations that he engaged in a long-running and substantial scheme to submit false claims for dental services provided to residents of long-term care facilities in the state.

The announcement was made by DSS Commissioner Roderick Bremby and Connecticut Attorney General George Jepsen.

“This provider preyed upon the most vulnerable of our Medicaid population ”“ our seniors who reside in nursing homes,” Jepsen said. “We will continue to work hard to hold accountable those who seek to defraud our taxpayer-funded health care programs.”

“While this repugnant situation does not represent the Medicaid dental program and providers as a whole, it clearly demonstrates the need for strong anti-fraud measures to protect patients and taxpayers from the outliers who betray their profession,” Bremby said.

The Office of the Attorney General began an investigation after referral from the DSS Office of Quality Assurance in February 2013. The investigation was conducted in coordination with the state Division of Criminal Justice’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit. The attorney general filed a civil lawsuit against the defendants alleging violations of the state False Claims Act in June 2014.

The attorney general’s complaint alleged that from October 2009 to June 2014, the defendants provided services to dental patients enrolled in the Connecticut Medical Assistance Program. The patients were typically residents at long-term care facilities, and bills submitted by the defendants specified that the dental services were performed at the various facilities. The complaint further alleged that the defendants billed the Connecticut Medical Assistance Program for dental services, including cavity fillings, that were never provided and for dentures that were improperly made and packaged, rendering them unusable.