Press Releases
02/23/2022
Attorney General Tong Announces $310,874 Settlement with Psychiatrist to Resolve False Claims Allegations
(Hartford, CT) — Attorney General William Tong and acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut Leonard C. Boyle today announced a $310,874 settlement with a Hamden psychiatrist to resolve state and federal False Claims Act allegations.
Alan Siegal, MD is the sole owner of Geriatric and Adult Psychiatry LLC (GAP) located in Hamden, Connecticut. It is alleged that from 2016 to 2021 Siegal employed a former physician named Eric Ressner, who had lost his license to practice medicine in 2006 following a healthcare fraud conviction in Florida.
Because of his conviction, Ressner was prohibited by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General from participating in government healthcare programs. When an individual is excluded from federal health care programs, no program payments may be made for services furnished, ordered or prescribed by that excluded individual or entity. Anyone who hires an individual or entity that is prohibited from participating in government healthcare programs may be subject to civil monetary penalties.
From February 25, 2016 to June 29, 2021 GAP employed Ressner as an administrator and billed and received reimbursement from Medicare, Medicaid, TRICARE and RR Retirement for services provided to patients. Some of those funds were used to pay the salary and benefits of Ressner, despite his exclusion from all federal health care programs.
The Attorney General’s Antitrust and Government Program Fraud Section coordinated with the Connecticut Department of Revenue Services and the U.S. Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General to analyze data and develop the investigatory lead that resulted in today’s settlement.
“For five years, GAP used federal and state reimbursement funds to pay a staff member who had been excluded from participating in government healthcare programs because of a fraud conviction. The Office of the Attorney General takes seriously our responsibility to safeguard our public healthcare programs and is prepared to take strong action against anyone who violates that public trust,” Attorney General Tong said.
The total settlement to be paid is $310,874, with $8,005.54 paid to Connecticut Medicaid.
Attorney General Tong thanked the Connecticut Department of Revenue Services, the Department of Social Services, the U.S. Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General/Office of Investigations, and the Office of the United States Attorney for their coordination in this matter.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General maintains an online searchable database of excluded entities and individuals that can found at https://exclusions.oig.hhs.gov
Anyone with knowledge of suspected fraud or abuse in the public healthcare system is asked to contact the Attorney General’s Antitrust and Government Program Fraud Section at 860-808-5040 or by email at ag.fraud@ct.gov; the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit at 860-258-5986 or by email at conndcj@ct.gov; or the Department of Social Services fraud reporting hotline at 1-800-842-2155, online at www.ct.gov/dss/reportingfraud, or by email to providerfraud.dss@ct.gov.
Forensic Fraud Examiners Lisa Bailey and Peter Harrington, and Assistant Attorney General Gregory K. O’Connell, under the supervision of the Chief of the Antitrust and Government Fraud Section Jeremy Pearlman, assisted the Attorney General with this matter.
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Media Contact:
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