Cherie Dillon pleaded guilty to acting as a dentist despite only being licensed as a dental hygienist, according to the Idaho Statesman.
Here are five insights:
1. Prior to her arrest, Ms. Dillon pulled and drilled patient's teeth, provided patients with fillings and dentures and offered other procedures beyond her dental hygienist license at Dental Healthcare With Heart in Payette, Idaho.
2. In January, she pleaded guilty to two dozen counts each of healthcare fraud and aggravated identity theft. Later in June, Mr. Dillon was sentenced to five years in prison. In October, a U.S. district judge order her to forfeit $847,016, which represented all of the practice's billings between 2010 and 2013.
3. Additionally, the court ordered Ms. Dillon to pay $319,700 to 11 insurance agencies that she defrauded.
4. Federal prosecutors filed a new complaint Dec. 5 seeking three times the amount of the assessed damages to compensate for actual damages related to fraudulent Medicaid claims. They allege Ms. Dillon owes $101,612 to Idaho Medicaid, Blue Cross of Idaho and DentQuest. If she is ordered to pay three times of the damages, Ms. Dillon will be responsible for $304,836.
5. Ms. Dillon and the federal government have both appealed the district court's forfeiture and restitution order. Ms. Dillon is asking her restitution be reduced and the federal government is seeking to increase the amount.
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Here are five insights:
1. Prior to her arrest, Ms. Dillon pulled and drilled patient's teeth, provided patients with fillings and dentures and offered other procedures beyond her dental hygienist license at Dental Healthcare With Heart in Payette, Idaho.
2. In January, she pleaded guilty to two dozen counts each of healthcare fraud and aggravated identity theft. Later in June, Mr. Dillon was sentenced to five years in prison. In October, a U.S. district judge order her to forfeit $847,016, which represented all of the practice's billings between 2010 and 2013.
3. Additionally, the court ordered Ms. Dillon to pay $319,700 to 11 insurance agencies that she defrauded.
4. Federal prosecutors filed a new complaint Dec. 5 seeking three times the amount of the assessed damages to compensate for actual damages related to fraudulent Medicaid claims. They allege Ms. Dillon owes $101,612 to Idaho Medicaid, Blue Cross of Idaho and DentQuest. If she is ordered to pay three times of the damages, Ms. Dillon will be responsible for $304,836.
5. Ms. Dillon and the federal government have both appealed the district court's forfeiture and restitution order. Ms. Dillon is asking her restitution be reduced and the federal government is seeking to increase the amount.
More articles on dentists:
4% of dentists in Utah are women – how to combat the gender gap in the workforce
National Dental Association elects Dr. Joe O'Neal president: 3 insights
Drs. Grace Liu, John Agar & more: 5 dentists making headlines