NJ dentist faces Medicaid fraud charges

A New Jersey dentist has been accused of submitting false claims to the state Medicaid program.

Ping Cai, DDS, of Holmdel, a licensed dentist whose practice is located in Hazlet, was charged with second-degree healthcare claims fraud and two counts of third-degree Medicaid fraud, according to a statement from New Jersey Attorney General Jeffrey Chiesa.

A Monmouth County grand jury indictment alleges that between January 1, 2007, and January 1, 2010, Dr. Cai fraudulently billed the Medicaid program for dental services purportedly rendered to Medicaid recipients.

Specifically, Dr. Cai is accused of submitting fraudulent claims for payment from Medicaid for relining and rebasing dentures and filling cavities when those dental services were not rendered.

An investigation by the Office of the Insurance Fraud Prosecutor's Medicaid Fraud Control Unit determined that, as a result of the alleged fraud, Dr. Cai may have been paid more than $39,000 by Medicaid for services that were not rendered.

Second-degree crimes carry a maximum sentence of 10 years in state prison and a criminal fine of $150,000, while the crime of third-degree Medicaid fraud carries a maximum sentence of three years in state prison and a criminal fine of $10,000, the attorney general's office noted.