In 2014, 19 dentists were convicted of Medicaid fraud, according to an annual report issued by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of the Inspector General (OIG). More than $4.1 million was recovered from these convictions.
In comparison, 64 physicians and 56 counselors/psychologists were convicted last year. Almost $22 million was recovered from the counselors/psychologists, while more than $52.4 million was recovered from the physicians (see table below).
However, dental fraud only accounted for 0.5% of Medicaid fraud recoveries last year, with $2.26 billion recovered in total. Home healthcare agencies were a particularly notable source of fraud, contributing $193.77 million to the total.
| 2014 criminal & civil outcomes by provider type | ||||
| Criminal | Civil | |||
| Provider type | No. of convictions | Amount of Recoveries | No. of settlements & judgments | Amount of Recoveries |
| Counselors & psychologists | 56 | $21,794,328 | 10 | $2,704,387 |
| Dentists | 19 | $4,163,020 | 18 | $7,824,268 |
| Optometrists & opticians | 2 | $229,455 | 3 | $1,494,214 |
| Physicians or doctors of osteopathy | 64 | $52,400,623 | 44 | $67,195,597 |
| Other | 20 | 1,451,598 | 5 | $1,263,644 |
The OIG is the designated federal agency that oversees state Medicaid fraud control units, and the report details the results of these units in 2014.
