A former office manager for a Massachusetts dental practice was sentenced to two years of probation for her role in a Medicaid fraud scheme.
In January 2020, Ms. Cronin; Anthony DiStefano III, DDS; and Scott Cale, DDS, were all indicted for their alleged roles in the scheme.
MassHealth removed Dr. DiStefano from the MassHealth program in 2005. After being denied readmission, Dr. DiStefano added Dr. Cale to his practice. From 2014-18, dental services completed by Dr. DiStefano were billed to MassHealth using Dr. Cale's provider credentials. Dr. Cale then paid Dr. DiStefano a portion of the money he received from MassHealth. Ms. Cronin knew about the arrangement and billed MassHealth for the services, according to an Aug. 15 news release.
She pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud and one count of healthcare fraud in 2021.
Dr. Cale was recently sentenced to 18 months in prison for his role in the scheme. The charges against Dr. DiStefano were dismissed.