A St. Louis-area dentist has been charged with healthcare fraud for collecting more than $700,000 in Medicaid reimbursements for procedures that were allegedly never performed.
Yun Sup Kim, DDS, of St. Louis, was charged with 12 counts of healthcare fraud and one count of wire fraud, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Illinois.
Dr. Kim repeatedly billed the Illinois Medicaid program for cavity fillings and surgical tooth extractions that were never performed at his Swansea, IL, dental office from September 2014 through 2017, according to the charges. The indictment includes information from 10 former patients, including one of whom Kim claimed to have filled about half the patient's teeth during one visit.
He is also accused of falsifying dates of service on numerous occasions to evade billing rules involving reimbursements for dental sealants.
The wire fraud charge stems from a 2016 incident in which Illinois Medicaid was billed for a dental exam, fluoride treatment, and tooth cleaning on a 10-month-old girl who had only two teeth and was not a patient.
His initial appearance in court is scheduled for September 12. No trial date has been set. Dr. Kim faces up to 10 years in prison for each count of healthcare fraud and a fine of $250,000, as well as a 20-year statutory maximum prison term for the wire fraud charge and forfeiture of the Medicaid funds collected.
