From staff reports OKLAHOMA CITY – AWatonga psychiatrist, Dr. Richard Zielinski, has agreed to pay $173,143 to the State of Oklahoma to settle a lawsuit alleging he knowingly submitted false claims to the Oklahoma Medicaid program, SoonerCare.

Zielinski was accused of upcoding claims for evaluating and managing patients and submitting them to SoonerCare for payment between Jan. 1, 2019, and June 30, 2021.

The settlement also resolves allegations that Zielinski caused his agents and employees to fabricate records supporting the false claims after the Oklahoma Health Care Authority notified him they intended to audit his patient records. The authority referred the matter to the Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit for investigation.

Assistant Attorney General Jamie Bloyd, Agent Rachel Hayward and Nurse Analyst Laurie Hudson handled the investigation and resolution. The claims resolved by settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.

The Oklahoma Attorney General’s Office Medicaid Fraud Control Unit receives 75% of its funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under a grant award totaling $4.5 million for federal fiscal year 2025 (Oct. 1, 2024, through Sept. 30, 2025). The remaining 25%, totaling $1.5 million for FY 2025, is funded by the State of Oklahoma.

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