KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — A Knoxville dental provider will pay nearly $1 million to settle a 2020 lawsuit that alleged the company for years submitted false claims in order to receive higher reimbursements from TennCare, the state Medicaid program.
The United States Attorney’s Office announced Monday that Dr. Michael Sawaf and his affiliated company Premier Dental Group PLLC of Knoxville have agreed to pay $985,541 to resolve the lawsuit. Erin Ferdowsi and Reja Ferdowsi, both of whom were affiliated with the company, also agreed to resolve similar allegations against them.
Sawaf owns a clinic located at 303 S. Concord Street in Knoxville which was operated and managed by Erin and Reja Ferdowsi. The allegations brought forward by whistleblowers in 2020 alleged that Premier Dental Group submitted false claims to TennCare for dental services that were either not necessary or not performed at all.
Source: Knoxville dental provider settles lawsuit over allegations of TennCare fraud / WATE