The Attorney General’s Office (“AGO”) announced that a Worcester-based dentist and her dental practice were indicted last week in connection with a scheme to defraud the state’s Medicaid program (“MassHealth”) of more than $2 million.
Meenakshy Yegneswaran, age 55, of Hopkinton, and the company she owns, Pleasant Street Dental, PC (“Pleasant Street”), were indicted by a Worcester County Grand Jury. The Defendants were charged with one count each of Medicaid False Claims, G.L. c. 118E, § 40; Larceny Over $1,200, G.L. c. 266, § 30; and Medicaid Excess Charges, G.L. c. 118E, § 42.
The AGO alleges that Yegneswaran and Pleasant Street billed MassHealth for dental services that were never provided, including during times when Yegneswaran, the only dentist working at the practice, was out of the country. The AGO further alleges that Yegneswaran and Pleasant Street charged MassHealth patients cash for prescription mouthwash that otherwise would have been covered by MassHealth, a practice which is illegal under Massachusetts law. The estimated amount that Yegneswaran and Pleasant Street are alleged to have fraudulently obtained from MassHealth is approximately $2.06 million.
All of the charges are allegations, and the Defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
This case is being handled by Assistant Attorneys General Sean Hildenbrandt and Natalie Rutkowski, Investigations Supervisor Heather Dwyer, Investigator Rachel Wiesler, and Digital Analyst Investigator Fatima Tanveer, all of the AGO’s Medicaid Fraud Division. MassHealth, DentaQuest, the AGO’s Digital Evidence Lab, and the Massachusetts State Police assigned to the AGO provided substantial assistance during the investigation.
This matter is the AGO’s most recent effort to hold to account those who misuse roles of authority or public trust, including through abuse of the MassHealth program. Most recently, in May 2024, the AGO announced indictments against a Boston-based dental practice and its manager in connection with a scheme to defraud MassHealth and engage in the unlicensed practice of dentistry. Similarly, in March 2024, the AGO announced indictments against a Falmouth dentist and dental practice for submitting nearly $200,000 in false claims to MassHealth for services that were not provided and/or for services that were required to be performed by a dentist but were not.
The Massachusetts Medicaid Fraud Division receives 75 percent of its funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under a grant award totaling $5,865,996 for federal fiscal year 2024. The remaining 25 percent, totaling $1,955,330 for FY 2024, is funded by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
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