A Rainier dental hygienist has been charged with stealing more than $14,500 from the state Department of Social and Health Services’ Medicaid program.
On Thursday, the state Attorney General’s Office filed eight criminal charges against 57-year-old Karen Ann Lockhart – five counts of first-degree theft, two counts of second-degree theft and one count of making a false statement for Medicaid reimbursement, according to criminal information filed in Thurston County Superior Court.
Lockhart could not be reached for comment Tuesday.
According to a probable-cause statement, also filed last week:
The Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Unit began an investigation of Lockhart, who owns and operates Rainier Dental Hygiene Services, in January 2010.
The investigation began when DSHS’s Medical Audit Unit sent a referral to the Attorney General’s Office after DSHS performed an audit examining three years of Lockhart’s billing practices.
In 2002, Lockhart had signed a contract to provide dental hygiene services to DSHS’s Medicaid clients. Most of Lockhart’s clients received their treatment in skilled-nursing facilities and in “supported/assisted living environments.”
“As a result of the audit, an overpayment to Lockhart in the amount of $177,884.49 was identified,” court papers state. “As a result of the audit, Lockhart’s provider agreement was terminated effective January 20, 2010.”
Assistant Attorney General Dannette Allen said Tuesday that identifying overpayments in civil audits is one thing; there’s a different standard of proof needed to file criminal charges.
During an interview with DSHS auditors, Lockhart said her business’ fluoride treatments consisted of “applying ‘Listerine’ to patients’ mouths and then wiping it out with gauze.”
A fraud investigator with the Attorney General’s Office reviewed Lockhart’s billings to DSHS for “high-volume days.” The investigation revealed “seven high-volume days where the number of those procedures billed and the time required for the procedures exceeded the number of available hours in the day.”
Investigators also interviewed the owner of an adult home where Lockhart had billed DSHS for providing patients with “Periodontal Scaling and Root Planing” or for “fluoride treatment.” The owner said she was present for Lockhart’s appointments with clients and that Lockhart “spent about five minutes with each person or about the amount of time it takes to brush someone’s teeth.”
Allen said the Attorney General’s Office will seek an order requiring Lockhart to repay DSHS $14,521 in alleged fraudulent claims.
Lockhart has been ordered to appear for an arraignment in Thurston County Superior Court on Dec. 27.
Jeremy Pawloski: 360-754-5445
jpawloski@theolympian.com
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