WATONGA, OKLA (KOKH) — A psychiatrist from Watonga, Oklahoma, has been court-ordered to pay $173,143 for false claims to SoonerCare.
Dr. Richard Zielinski has agreed to pay the $173,143 to settle a lawsuit that alleged Zielinski knowingly submitted false claims to Soonercare.
Between the dates of Jan. 1, 2019, and June 30, 2021, Zielinski allegedly upcoded claims for patients and submitted them to the Oklahoma Medicaid program.
"I appreciate the thorough investigation completed by my team to recover funds that were wrongly taken from the State and, as a result, the taxpayers of Oklahoma," said Attorney General Gentner Drummond. "I take very seriously all allegations of false claims and will always work to hold fraudsters accountable to the law."
The lawsuit also alleged that Zielinski caused his employees to fabricate records after the Oklahoma Health Care Authority warned him of an audit.
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