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CT Business Owner Ordered To Pay $310K For Employing 'Excluded' Person, Feds Say

A Connecticut psychiatry business and its owner have been ordered to pay more than $310,000 to resolve allegations that they improperly employed an individual who was excluded from federal health care programs.

A Connecticut psychiatry business and its owner have been ordered to pay more than $310,000 to resolve allegations that they employed a person who was excluded from federal health care programs.

A Connecticut psychiatry business and its owner have been ordered to pay more than $310,000 to resolve allegations that they employed a person who was excluded from federal health care programs.

Photo Credit: Pixabay/QuinceCreative

Geriatric & Adult Psychiatry, LLC and its owner Dr. Alan Siegal entered into the civil settlement agreement with federal and state governments, according to an announcement on Wednesday, Feb. 23, from Leonard Boyle, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut.

The Hamden business and Siegal were ordered to pay a total of $310,874, the US Attorney's Office announced. 

Physician Eric Ressner was convicted in 2006 of conspiracy to commit health care fraud, and he was subsequently excluded from federal health care programs, Boyle said.

This meant that program payments could not be made for items or services furnished by him.

Ressner was hired to work as a clinical director at Siegal's business in February of 2016, and he served in the position until June 2021, Boyle reported.

While Ressner was employed at the business, Siegal and the business sought reimbursements from federal health care programs, such as Medicare and Medicaid, the US Attorney's Office said.

Some of the reimbursements were used to pay Ressner's benefits and his salary, Boyle said. 

The case was investigated by the Office of Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services.

Tips about suspected health care fraud can be reported by calling 1-800-HHS-TIPS or the Health Care Fraud Task Force at 203-777-6311.

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