Breaking News: Audit Finds Millions Wasted, Possible Fraud In Medicaid Dental Spending

The Boston Globe reports on a just-released state audit that uncovered about $5.7 million of "overcharges and other unnecessary costs," as well as potential fraud, in the Medicaid dental program.

The audit's findings included:

-- Numerous X-rays were taken routinely and not for specific purposes, resulting in $5.2 million in unallowable payments.

-- One orthodontist was overpaid by $321,553 because of a lack of control of spending on orthodontic services.

-- A review of 258 patient files found 11 instances of double billing for the same procedure. MassHealth's claims processing system failed to identify them as duplicates.

-- X-ray charges that were supposed to be bundled together were charged separately, allowing overpayment to one provider of $162,863.