Press Releases
11/01/2022
Attorney General Tong Announces $532,830 False Claims Settlement With New Haven-Based Psychiatric Care Consultants
(Hartford, CT) – Attorney General William Tong today announced a $532,830.33 Connecticut False Claims Act settlement with Psychiatric Care Consultants LLC and its owner, Dr. Kishorchandra Gonsai, resolving allegations that the New Haven-based psychiatrist overbilled the state’s Medicaid program for psychotherapy.Following a fraud referral from the Department of Social Services, an investigation by the Office of the Attorney General found that between June 1, 2017 and March 31, 2022 Psychiatric Care Consultants (PCC) repeatedly billed the Connecticut Medical Assistance Program (CMAP) for either 45-minute or 30-minute psychotherapy sessions that were not provided for the length of time claimed. PCC billed the CMAP for 45-minute sessions when the amount of psychotherapy provided was 30 minutes or less. PCC also billed the CMAP for 30-minute sessions when the amount of psychotherapy provided was 15 minutes or less.
“Dr. Gonsai and PCC overbilled the state’s Medicaid program over a span of nearly five years for therapy services that were not provided at the level he claimed. Our settlement forces Dr. Gonsai to return over half a million dollars to the state’s Medicaid program and sends a strong message that the Office of the Attorney General will not tolerate abuse of taxpayer dollars,” said Attorney General Tong.
“This unfortunate example of overbilling by a psychiatric care provider is a clear reminder that strong anti-fraud measures are in place to protect the integrity of our public health coverage programs. I join Attorney General Tong in welcoming the return of nearly $533,000 from the False Claims Act settlement, and in commending the investigators and attorneys who were instrumental in this resolution,” said Department of Social Services Commissioner Deidre S. Gifford.
Attorney General Tong thanked the Department of Social Services’ Office of Quality Assurance, Special Investigations Division, for their assistance in this matter.
Anyone with knowledge of suspected fraud or abuse in the public healthcare system is asked to contact the Attorney General’s 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.
Legal Investigator Timothy Edwards, Forensic Fraud Examiner Lisa Bailey, Assistant Attorney General Joshua Jackson, and Assistant Attorney General Eric Babbs, under the supervision of Gregory K. O'Connell, Chief of the Government Program Fraud Section, assisted the Attorney General in this matter.
- Twitter: @AGWilliamTong
- Facebook: CT Attorney General
Media Contact:
Elizabeth Benton
elizabeth.benton@ct.gov
Consumer Inquiries:
860-808-5318
attorney.general@ct.gov