A retired Damariscotta dentist has agreed to pay $90,000 to resolve allegations that he submitted false claims to the state health care program.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Portland said Joseph W. Griffin agreed to the payment after he was accused of submitting claims to MaineCare for services that weren’t provided, weren’t medically necessary or were inadequately documented. MaineCare is the state’s Medicaid program, for which the federal government provides about two-thirds of the funding.
According to a civil complaint filed against Griffin, the questionable claims totaled nearly $165,000, but the U.S. Attorney’s Office said he is unable to pay back the full amount and a lower total was agreed to because Griffin has retired from dentistry. Two-thirds of the money will go to the federal government and a third will be returned to Maine.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Office of Inspector General and the Maine Attorney General’s Health Care Crimes Unit.
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