HOLBROOK, N.Y. (Legal Newsline) — New York Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman announced March 7 that Freed, Kleinberg, Nussbaum, Festa & Kronberg M.D LLP, a pediatrics practice on Long Island, will pay $750,000 in a joint settlement with New York and the United States after allegations of submitting false claims to Medicaid.
Additional defendants in the case include various current and former partner physicians. They are Dr. Arnold W. Scherz, Dr. Mitchell Kleinberg, Dr. Michael Nussbaum, Dr. Robert Festa and Dr. Jason Kronberg. These defendants also did business as Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine. The defendants have office locations in Holbrook, Port Jefferson, Shirley, and Wading River, New York.
“Providers who are not properly enrolled in Medicaid before treating Medicaid beneficiaries undermine the integrity of the program and its efforts to serve our neediest New Yorkers,” Schneiderman said in a statement. “Those serving Medicaid beneficiaries must be properly credentialed and thoroughly vetted prior to Medicaid enrollment to ensure that beneficiaries get the care they deserve from qualified professionals.”
New York will receive $450,000 of the settlement funds.
Handling the case for New York were principal auditor investigator Theresa A. White and special assistant attorney general Diana Elkind.