Red Dirt Orthodontics, an Oklahoma-based dental provider, has agreed to a substantial payout to the tune of over half a million dollars to settle claims that it improperly billed the state's Medicaid program, SoonerCare. According to an official statement from the Oklahoma Attorney General's office, the company will pay $583,090 in a bid to resolve allegations of submitting false claims.
The allegations in question suggest that between March 18, 2022, and March 25, 2024, Red Dirt Orthodontics filed claims for orthodontic services naming an orthodontist credentialed with the Oklahoma Health Care Authority (OHCA) as the service provider. In truth, however, these services were rendered by an orthodontist who was neither credentialed with OHCA nor authorized to submit claims to SoonerCare. "My investigative team worked carefully and extensively to recover these funds, and I’m grateful for their efforts,” Attorney General Gentner Drummond stated in the news release. “I take all claims of fraud seriously and will hold accountable anyone who exploits the system."
Assistant Attorney General Jamie Bloyd and Agent Daniel Shcolnik from the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit spearheaded the investigation leading up to the settlement. This outcome serves as a stern warning to healthcare providers about the repercussions of defrauding public health programs. The Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, which plays a critical role in cases like these, is predominantly funded by federal dollars, with state contributions making up the rest.
The Oklahoma Attorney General's Office Medicaid Fraud Control Unit operates with financial support that includes 75 percent federal funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Their grant award totals $4,765,464 for the federal fiscal year 2026, and the state covers the remaining 25 percent, which amounts to $1,588,483 for the same fiscal period. These financial details, revealed in the aforementioned statement, pinpoint the federal fiscal year as running from October 1 through September 30, 2026, according to the Oklahoma Attorney General's office.
