A Kentucky dentist who pleaded guilty to healthcare fraud received a four-month prison sentence, reports the Lexington Herald-Leader.
Denver Tackett, DMD, must also serve six months of home detention after prison, repay $70,012 to Medicaid and pay the government $20,000, a judge said Dec. 15.
According to the plea agreement, Dr. Tackett submitted more than $95,000 in false and unnecessary claims to Kentucky Medicaid. The dentist admitted to performing and submitting claims for unnecessary dental procedures between 2003 and 2018.
Dr. Tackett, a practicing dentist for more than 30 years, said he pulled patients' teeth when it wasn't necessary, but his attorney, Andrew Sparks, said patients asked the dentist to do that.
It wasn't uncommon for patients to ask to have teeth pulled while the service was covered by Medicaid out of concern that they would later lose coverage, Mr. Sparks said, according to the Herald-Leader.