Norwalk, CT – A dentist based in Norwalk has consented to pay $150,000 to resolve claims that she breached state and federal laws under the False Claims Act by offering illegal fees for patient recruitment, as announced by Attorney General William Tong on Friday.
Dr. Nazneen Jaffri faced accusations of making improper payments to a third-party patient recruitment firm in return for referrals of patients covered by Connecticut Medicaid. The U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut has now issued a judgment against Dr. Jaffri for the outstanding amount of the settlement.
Investigators reported that Dr. Jaffri was a participant in the Connecticut Medical Assistance Program (CMAP), which encompasses Medicaid. Between January 2019 and April 2021, she allegedly paid $116 for each patient to a company that referred individuals who subsequently received dental treatments beyond basic preventive services like cleanings and examinations.
Both state and federal authorities claim that these payments contravened the federal anti-kickback statute and violated the CMAP provider agreement, as well as the guidelines set forth in the Connecticut Dental Health Partnership (CTDHP) provider manual.
“Paying kickbacks for patient recruitment is illegal,” said Attorney General Tong. “Dentists participating in Connecticut’s public healthcare programs are responsible for knowing the law. This is the fifth settlement resulting from our ongoing investigations, and we will continue to work closely with our federal partners to protect the integrity of these programs.”
Authorities urge anyone who has information regarding possible fraud or abuse within Connecticut’s public healthcare programs to contact the Attorney General’s Government Fraud Section at 860-808-5040 or via email at ag.fraud@ct.gov
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