Hygienist charged with $14K Medicaid fraud

A Rainier, WA, dental hygienist allegedly stole more than $14,500 from the state Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) Medicaid program, according to an article in the Olympian.

Karen Ann Lockhart faces eight criminal charges from the state attorney general's office: five counts of first-degree theft, two counts of second-degree theft, and one count of making a false statement for Medicaid reimbursement.

The majority of Lockhart's clients resided in assisted living facilities, and she had been treating Medicaid clients since 2002, according to the article. Three years of Lockhart's billing practices at Rainier Dental Hygiene Services, which she owns and operates, were examined during a DSHS audit. Subsequently, the DSHS' Medical Audit Unit sent a referral to the attorney general's office.

Lockhart told investigators that the fluoride treatments she billed for were Listerine rinses, the article noted. The investigation also revealed seven high-volume days when the number of procedures billed and the time required for the procedures exceeded the number of available hours in the day.

Court papers stated that she had been overpaid by almost $178,000, and her Medicaid contract was nullified on January 20, 2010, the Olympian reported.

The attorney general is seeking a $14,521 repayment to DSHS, the article noted. Lockhart's arraignment has been scheduled for December 27 in Thurston County Superior Court.