'Unconscionable': Dentists in NJ and NY allegedly did unneeded 'baby root canals' on kids

A pediatric dentist who owns more than a dozen practices in New Jersey, New York and Vermont has agreed to pay more than $750,000 to settle allegations that his dentists performed unnecessary "baby root canals" on children, then billed Medicaid for the procedures, state and federal authorities announced Thursday.

Barry L. Jacobson, the chief executive officer of HQRC Management Services, also admitted that his company made billing errors between 2011 and 2014 that led to inaccurate claims for services being submitted to Medicaid contractors, according to statements from New York Attorney General Letitia James and New Jersey U.S. Attorney Philip Sellinger.

“It is unconscionable that medical professionals were willing to perform unnecessary dental procedures on children simply to make money,” Sellinger said in the statement. “Recovering their ill-gotten gains only begins to undo this damage."

The settlement resolves a 2017 lawsuit brought by a woman who claimed Jacobson violated the False Claims Act, which lets private parties sue for false claims on behalf of the U.S. government. It also allows them to share in the settlement.

The subsequent investigation by state and federal authorities found that doctors affiliated with Jacobson's dental group — which has offices in Paterson, Teaneck and Wyckoff — performed unnecessary pulpotomies on child patients between 2011 and 2018, the statements said.

The dentists then billed Medicaid for the procedures, even though medical records didn’t show that the kids needed them, according to the New York Attorney General's Office.

“Dr. Jacobson and HQRC allegedly performed unnecessary and invasive dental procedures on children to line their own pockets,” James said.

But Steve Chananie, Jacobson’s New York City attorney, said Thursday that he vehemently disagrees with the way the government has framed the settlement. The firm never agreed that the procedures were inappropriate or unnecessary, he said.

"We were shocked and outraged by the government's press release," Chananie said. "Barry Jacobson is dedicated to the well-being of children.”

Chananie said the children needed the pulpotomies, which restore infected primary teeth by removing damaged, infected pulp from the upper part of the tooth, then covers the rest with a filling or crown.

But doctors are “notoriously bad documenters,” he said. So the medical records in their respective offices may not have reflected that need.

He declined to comment when asked if Jacobson would take further legal action, however.

“We’re deciding how we want to respond,” Chananie said.

New York will receive the lion’s share of the settlement — about $432,000, according to the agreement. The federal government will take about $314,0000, while New Jersey will get about $7,000.

Each will pay a portion of this to the woman who initially filed the suit. She will receive more than $135,000, the agreement said.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Unnecessary root canals on kids performed by NJ dentists