Swansea dentist pleads guilty to defrauding Illinois Medicaid of thousands of dollars
A Swansea dentist accused of defrauding Illinois Medicaid of thousands of dollars over a period of several years has pleaded guilty to the scheme.
Yun Sup Kim, 48, of St. Louis, appeared at the federal courthouse in Benton on Thursday to enter his guilty plea on three counts of health care fraud. In the deal, the prosecution agreed to dismiss a wire fraud charge and nine other counts of health care fraud at his sentencing, a news release from the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois stated on Friday.
Kim admitted that from August 2014 to December 2017, he repeatedly submitted false bills for cavity fillings and surgical tooth extractions to Illinois Medicaid in connection with his dental practice, Emerald Terrace Dental, which is located at 2 Emerald Terrace in Swansea.
Court records listed more than 1,300 patients for whom Kim falsely claimed to have performed eight or more cavity fillings in a single day, the release stated. In court, Kim conceded that he did not actually numb, drill and fill cavities in those patients’ teeth.
According to the release, Kim further admitted to billing simple extractions to Medicaid as if they had been surgical extractions, which are more expensive. He also confessed that he had falsified dates of service on numerous occasions to evade Medicaid billing rules for dental sealants.
As part of his plea deal, the release said, Kim has agreed to revoke his license to practice dentistry in Illinois. In three years, he will be eligible to petition the licensing board for reinstatement.
Kim has also agreed to pay back $719,830.72 in restitution to Illinois Medicaid and Medicaid-managed care organizations.
The U.S. has recommended three years of probation and no fine in exchange for Kim’s concessions, the release said.
U.S. District Judge Staci M. Yandle will decide Kim’s ultimate sentence. According to the release, each count of health care fraud is punishable by up to 10 years imprisonment and a $250,000 fine. He is set to be sentenced on June 4.
In November 2019, Kim was sued by a former Emerald Terrace employee who accused him of making racist comments toward her and propositioning her for sex. The woman says she was retaliated against for denying his advances. That case is ongoing.
This story was originally published February 15, 2020 at 4:08 PM.
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